FOUR SERMONS: Viz. 

1. The blessedness of Peacemakers. Preached before the KING.  
2. The advancement of God's Children. Preached before the KING.  
3. The Sin against the holy GHOST. Preached at Paul's Cross.  
4. The Christian PETITIONER. Preached at Oxford on the Act Sunday.    
By JOHN DENISON Doctor of Divinity, and one of his Majesty's chaplains.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the greene-Dragon in Paul's Churchyard. 1620.   

Beati Pacifici. THE BLESSEDNESS of Peacemakers: And the ADVANCEMENT of God's Children. IN Two Sermons preached before the King, by JOHN DENISON Doctor of Divinity, and one of his Majesty's chaplains.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the greene-Dragon in Paul's Churchyard. 1620.   

TO THE RIGHT Honourable, THOMAS Earl of Kelly, Viscount Fenton, One of the GENTLEMEN of his Majesty's Royal Bedchamber, Knight of the most noble order of the GARTER, and of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Counsel.  
Right Honourable:  
THE publishing of these Sermons hath, by some who are judicious, been thought necessary for the present times: They may happily stir men up to a serious consideration, and correspondent thankfulness for these blessed days of Peace and Grace which we enjoy, under the government of the most Wise, Learned, and Religious King, that ever this Nation had.  
And peradventure, the view of this excellent Ornament, 
Peace.  may move some, who are now contentious, to become studious, according to the Apostles precept, 
1 Thes. 4.11.  of Peace and Quietness.  
Being resolved for the publishing of them, I wanted no motives for dedication. As myself have duly observed, and others ingeniously acknowledged your Lordship, in your general carriage, 
Doctor Hall.  A worthy pattern of all true honour: So have I much rejoiced to observe your Lordship's religious disposition (the life and lustre of true Nobleness) and your constant sanctifying of the Sabbath, both at the prayers of the Church, and preaching of the word, without neglect or divorce of those sacred ordinances.  
And who doth not honour you as a worthy instrument of our happiness, in the happy rescue of the dear life of our gracious Sovereign? For had the bloody designs of the insolent Gowries taken effect, the light of our Israel had been put out; 
2. Sam. 21.17.  and we (for aught that any mortal eye can see) left altogether hopeless of those great blessings we now enjoy. But in more particular, the respect your honour hath had to my Ministry, ever since I was known unto you, and your gracing of me both in Court and Country, do worthily challenge some testification of thankfulness, without which I might justly incur Claudius Caesar's censure upon ingratitude. 
Ingratos revocavit in seruitutem. Sueton,  And as your Lordship's favours have been public, so the Philosopher hath taught me not to tender my thanks in angulo, & ad aurem. 
Seneca de Benefic. lib. 1. c. 23.   
Therefore (instead of better means) these two Sermons, like the widow's two Mites, do humbly present themselves to your Lordship's hands, craving your acceptance, and the continuance of your favour to him, who hearty prayeth for your prosperous estate, and hath unfeignedly devoted himself  
Your Honours in all humble observance, IO. DENISON.   

To the Reader.  
CHRISTIAN READER,  
I Am occasioned, in saluting thee, to Apologise for myself. I have been taxed, by some, for too much tartness in these Sermons, against those who descent from our Church in her Ceremonies and government, and for ranking them with Peace-breakers. But hear my just defence: I profess freely, if a man be of an humble spirit, peaceable behaviour, and, as his Majesty writes, Learned and Grave, 
Preface to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  though he do not altogether like the Ceremonies of our Church, he is not the man whom either my tongue or pen shall strike.  
And be he Minister or private Christian, by how much the more strict and careful any one is in the ways of God (so it be in sincerity, without contention and ostentation) the more I do esteem him worthy of respect.  
But when I observe some others, either by their Books, Sermons or Conferences, to be proud, factious, and contentious; blame me not for taxing them as enemies to our Peace; or if thou do, I little regard it. Pride, Faction, and contention, I could never like in any. Saint Austin saith in the like case: 
Est ergo ecclesiae quod ferat foris g●ma●in●us. Inimicos tamen deputat suos foris & intus: foris facilius evitabiles, intus difficilius tolerabiles. Aug. praef ad Psal. 142.  The Church hath that she may suffer without, and sigh for within, yet she accounts as enemies both those that are without, and those that are within; those that are without are more easily avoided, those that are within are more hardly endured.  

judg. 6.24. New transl. margin.  gideon's Altar and Ensigns did carry this Motto, jehovah shalom; The Lord send Peace: And our Sovereign's diction is, 
Blessed are the Peacemakers  Beati Pacifici, which consorting with his gracious actions, should call us all, like good Soldiers, to the standard of Peace. Those two famous Cities of Greece which often jarred one with another, 
Thebes and Athens.  when they were assaulted by the common enemy, united their forces for the common defence: Would to God the children of light would learn to be as wise as the children of this world in their generation. 
Luk. 16.8.   
His Majesty hath gone before us in his excellent encounters: Were it not fit to follow him against the common enemies in a just and weighty quarrel, then by taking up the pen, to disturb the peace of the Church, about matter of Ceremonies? Let me entreat those who are contentious, as they tender the peace of their Souls, to ponder diligently the Apostles precept to the Colossians: 
Colos. 3.15.  Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which you are called in one body. And to consider seriously his prayer for the Thessalonians, 
2. Thes. 3.16.  uttered with much vehemency, and diverse weighty and moving circumstances. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. And I hearty wish, that his precept may so prevail with them, and his prayer for them, 
Pax transitoriae est quoddam vestigium pacis aeternae. Greg: Pastor. Par. 3. admon.  that they may become the Sons of Peace; and that this Peace temporal, may be to them a pledge, and step to Peace eternal.   
MAT. 5.9. 
Blessed are the Peacemakers'.  
WE read in the tenth of Luke, 
Luk. 10.5.  that when our SAVIOUR sent forth his Disciples to any house, he enjoined them, thus to salute it: Peace be to this house.  
That salutation, blessed be God, hath prospered well in the hands of his servants, and, 
joh. 12.3.  like Mary's precious ointment, hath filled this house with a sweet perfume of Peace. In regard whereof, instead of the Disciples salutation, I have taken our Saviour's benediction, (for my purpose was, that my first Oblation in this house should be a Peace-offering.) Beati Pacifici: Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.  
Which words contain 2. especial points, 

1. A benediction, Blessed are the Peacemakers.  
2. A reason or manifestation of the benediction: For they shall be called the children of God.    
The Benediction, which at this time shall be the bounds of my speech, yields two words, and the same two parts: 

Beati  
& Pacifici.    
For in them I observe, 

A Person, and  
his condition.    
The person a Peacemaker, his condition, He is blessed.  
And indeed these are inseparable companions, Peacemakers and Blessedness: They go hand in hand, & are like Hypocrates twins, which lived & died together. There was never any blessed (had he opportunity) but he was a Peacemaker. Never was there Peacemaker, but he was blessed. Here Beati is first in place, but Pacifici is first in order: For a man must be Pacificus, before he can be Beatus; he must be a Peacemaker, that he may be Blessed, and therefore we will begin with him first.  
Now this word Pacificus is a compound, and involves two words, 
Substantiae sunt receptacula accidentium: Accidentiae sunt ornamenta substantiarum.  a subject and an adjunct, a man and his ornament, Peace, and a maker of Peace. I call Peace an ornament according to the phrase in Schools, and fitly in my conceit, for without it a man is but a Skeleton, or like the brazen Serpent when it was without virtue, Nehushton, a piece of brass: 
2. King. 18. 4●  We will first consider the ornament that makes the man, Peace; and then the man who is graced with this ornament, the maker of Peace.  
Saint Paul, 1. Thess. 5. exhorts thus concerning the ministers of Christ: Have them in singular reverence for their works sake. He that regards that exhortation, will look into the work, and when he finds that they are conversant about the most noble subject, 
Medici animarum. Chrys.  as being the Physicians, and watchmen for the Souls of men: It will cause him to subscribe to the Apostles encomium, 
Heb 13.17.  who calls that office, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A worthy work, and consequently to yield to his exhortation, 
1. Tim. 3.  Have them in singular reverence. So he that considers this excellent work and ornament Peace, will take notice of the worth of the Peacemaker, and consequently pronounce him blessed. Thus the total of this our present discourse, yields us these particulars. First a work, which is Pax, Peace: Secondly, the workmen, Pacifici, the Peacemakers; and that will bring in the third, which is a reward, Beati, Blessed. And of these points in order.  

The first part: Of PEACE.  
SPeciosum nomen pacis est, saith Hilary: The name of Peace is specious, yea it is precious. For God, the fountain of all goodness, is in sundry places of Scripture styled. 
Rom. 15.33. 1. Cor. 14.33. & passim.  The God of Peace. Christ, the author of our hopes and happiness, in the ninth of Isaiah, 
Isaiah 9.6.  is called the Prince of Peace. The Gospel, which is the glad-tidings of good things, 
Rom. 10.15. Rom. 1.16.  and the power of God to salvation, in the sixth to the Ephesians, is entitled, 
Ephes. 6.15.  The Gospel of Peace. Peace, it makes the sweetest Hymn that the Angels could sing at our Saviour's birth, Gloria in altissimis, 
Luke 1.14.  Glory be to God in the highest heavens, Peace upon earth. The richest legacy our Saviour could bequeath to his Church, at the time of his death, 
joh. 14.27.  Pacem relinquo vobis, My peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. Yea so ample and excellent is this ornament, that the Hebrews under the name of Peace, do comprehend all prosperity and felicity whatsoever; and not unfitly, if we consider it in the several branches.  

Some divide it into two parts, some into three.  I will not stand to show how some dicotomise▪ some tricotomise this Peace. I like the distinction of a fourfold Peace, because by it I shall the better unfold this ornament. And that is, Pax superna, interna, externa, aeterna: The Peace of Reconciliation, of Consolation, of Association, of eternal Salvation, & these four are like four links of a Chain, all inseparably knit together.  
The Peace of Reconciliation, is the Peace between God and man. This is the foundation of all true comforts, and the head of the fountain, whence all the other kinds of Peace do spring. When Adam did eat the forbidden fruit he lost his favour and Peace with God, 
Et Deum & pacem perdidit. August.  and his flying from the face of God was an evident argument of the breach of that Peace.  
This was a miserable condition; for better it were to be at variance with all the world, then to be at odds with God. Horrendum est: 
Heb. 10.31.  It is a fearful thing, saith the Apostle, to fall into the hands of the living God. And no marvel, 
Deut. 4.24.  for he is a consuming fire; yea, he is able to cast both soul and body into hell for ever. 
Mat. 10.28.   
By how much therefore this war and variance is woeful, by so much more is the reconciliation comfortable. Therefore the Lord doth not only ingeminate the joy of this news, Esay. 40.1. saying, Comfort you, comfort you my people. But bids his servants bring forth this Cordial, 
Ver. 2.  and speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is ended. As it was joyful news to Pharaohs butler, 
Gen. 40.13.  that the King his master's favour should be recovered, and himself restored to his office: So must it needs be a singular comfort to all the children of God, that he is reconciled to them, and they restored to that happy estate which they lost in Adam: So that I may say of this kind of Peace; Speciosum nomen Pacis est. The name of Peace is specious, 'tis precious.  
Now this Peace of reconciliation, brings in the next link, the peace of Conscience, which I call the peace of Consolation: For when this happy news is brought home to the heart, that God's justice is satisfied, and his wrath pacified; then have we Peace and joy in the holy-Ghost. 
Rom. 14.17.   
There is no misery comparable to the sting of Conscience; A wounded spirit who can bear? 
1. Pro. 18.14.  When one shall be restless, like the raging Sea, tossed with the billows of despair, as Esau speaks of an unreconciled sinner: 
Esa. 57.20.  When he shall have the Furies with their whips and torches vexing him, as Suetonius writes of Nero: 
Sueton. in vit. Nero cap, 34.  when he shall feel a burden upon his Soul even heavier than Aetna, as the holy Historian speaks of Cain: 
Gen. 4.13.  If then Christ jesus shall bring this distressed soul into his wine-celler of comfort, and spread over it the banner of his compassion, as it is Cant. 2.4. Then, as the babe sprang in the womb of Elizabeth at the salutation of the blessed Virgin: 
Luke 1.41.  So shall the humbled heart, upon the apprehension of this comfort, even leap for joy. Yea, so comfortable is this peace of Conscience, 
Aug. de Genes. ad Lit. 2.8.  that Saint Austin calls it the soul's Paradise: And Solomon, speaking of it, saith, 
Pro. 15.15.  A good Conscience is a continual feast. So that I may likewise conclude concerning it, Speciosum nomen Pacis est. The name of this Peace is specious and precious.  
The third kind of Peace, which I call the peace of Association, is that civil peace which is between man and man. And this also is a consequent of the former. 
1. joh. 4.20.  For as Saint john saith, he that love's God, will also love his brother; So he that is at Peace with God, and with his own Soul, will surely be at Peace with men. This Peace is excellent; and therefore almighty God, when he will give a great testimony of his loving favour to David, 
1. Chro. 22.9.  tells him that his son shall be a man of Peace. And when he will manifest his respect to the melting heart of josiah, 
2. Reg. 22.20.  he promiseth him that he shall go to his grave in Peace.  
The passages of Scripture urging this, are abundant and vehement. As that in the twelfth to the Romans. 
Rom. 12.18.  If it be possible, and as much as in you is, have Peace with all men. If it seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, impossible, in regard of others, yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, do you your best endeavour to have Peace. And what a vehement adjuration is that in the second to the Philippians? 
Phil. 2.1.  If there be any consolation in Christ, any comfort in Charity, any fellowship of the spirit, any compassion and mercy, embrace Peace and unity.  
But as we have done in the former, so let us see the beauty of this blessing by her contraries, Wars and Contention. For, 
Nazianz. de Pace.  Quantum sit pacis bonum ex ipsa seditione conspicitur. What is war and contention, but a devouring fire, which consumes the house of Millo, Shechem, 
judg. 9.15.  & the Cedars of Libanus? For by it, Nation is destroyed of Nation, and City of City, 
2. Chro. 15.6.  as one house is set on fire by another: Therefore albeit Solomon saith; 
Eccles. 3 8.  There is a time for war, and a time for Peace, yet are wars to be shunned as the bane of this blessing. As nature hath provided no evacuation of blood but in case of extremity, so wars are not to be taken in hand but in case of necessity, 
August. Epist. 205. Peace should be voluntary, War necessary.  according to that of Saint Austin, Pacem habere debet voluntas, bellum necessitas. Those therefore that will attempt needless wars, let them prosper like Ahab at Ramoth Gilead, 
1. Reg 22.34. 2. Reg. 19.35.  and Rabshekah against Jerusalem. Let it be unto them as it was to those Roman hotspurs Flaminius, 
Plutarch.  Minutius, and Varro; who smarted for their temerity in this case. Those that come in hostile manner, with their knives engraven, 
As it was at the intended invasion▪ 1588.  To cut the throats of the English Heretics, let them see a coin stamped (as a memorial of their disastrous enterprise) with the form of a Navy, and that inscription, Venit, ivit, fuit: It came, it went away, it came to just nothing. Surely no man knows thoroughly the benefit of Peace, but he that hath seen the doleful face of war. He that had heard the clattering of Armour, the rattling of Trumpets, the thundering of Canons, the cries of the wounded, the groans of the dying, and seen the fyring of Temples, the deflowering of Virgins, the rapes of Matrons, the murdering of infants, the vastation of fields, and spoiling of houses, could not but say with sorrow, En quò discordia ciues perduxit miseros! 
Virgil, Eclog. 1.  Behold the doleful issue of our discord; and acknowledge, that the name of Peace is precious. He that hath read that lamentable Epistle of the ancient Britain's, inscribed, 
Apud Gildam. page 14.  Aegitio ter consult gemitus Britanorum; to Aegitius thrice Consul, the sighs of the Britain's. He that could behold how many noble families, how many famous cities, how many glorious Monarchies have been brought to their periods by wars, by contention; would confess ingenuously, that Peace is a great blessing. 
Horace.  O fortunati minium bona si sua norint-Angli. But alas, we sit under our vines, 
The holy Historian speaks of this as of a great blessing 1. Reg. 4.25.  and under our figtrees, yea, we enjoy abundant blessings in Peace, yet are we not so happy as to see our happiness; yea we are grown, through our plenty of Peace, to disesteem it, as the Indians do their fragrant woods in fires, who by much use are weary of them, and as the Israelites did Manna, who by reason of their plenty did loath it.  
Well, let contentious spirits be transported as they will; the sons of Peace, shall say with the Psalmist, Ecce quàm bonum & quàm iucundum, 
Psal. 133.1.  Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is, brethren to dwell together at unity. See, 'tis both bonum, and iucundum, 
Horace. A man the th' mark most plainly hits, that to his profit pleasure fits. Psal. 34.14.  it is good and pleasant: Et omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci. Would a man see good days? He must lay the foundation thereof in Peace. Peace, it is the mother of plenty and prosperity, according to that in the 147, Psalm; He setteth Peace within thy borders, and satisfieth thee with the flower of wheat: And that in the 122. 
Psal. 122.7.  Let Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy Palaces. Where Peace is planted in the borders, there is the flower of wheat, and when it is entertained within the walls, prosperity takes up her habitation within the Palaces. Health is not more beneficial to the natural body, than Peace to the politic. Plutarch said well, 
Plutarch. Reipub. gerenda precept.  Those Hives are in best case where the Bees make most noise, but those commonwealths are in best state, where least noise and tumult is. Peace, it is the nurse of Piety; by it religion thrives, and the Church flourishes; As we read in the ninth of the Acts: 
Act. 9.31.  Then had the Church's rest, and multiplied. Yea it is not only the mother of prosperity, and nurse of Piety, but even the glory and crown of Christianity; 
Ephes 43.  when the unity of spirit is so kept in the bonds of Peace, that Christians are (like those happy converts in the primitive Church) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Acts. 4.32.  as it were one Soul in so many bodies. Illic mandavit Deus benedictionem. There the Lord promised his blessing, 
Psal. 133.3.  and life for evermore. Non in commotione Dominus: God was neither in the blustering winds, the boisterous earthquake, nor the furious fire; 
1. Reg. 19.11.12.  But when the still and soft voice comes, there the Lord is, according to that of the Apostle, Brethren live in Peace, and the God of Peace shall be with you. 2. Cor. 13. 
2. Cor. 13.11.  Therefore I may also say of this kind of Peace, Speciosum nomen Pacis est. The name of this Peace is precious.  
The fourth and last kind of Peace, is Peace eternal, which also followeth the other; For he that hath not Peace on earth, shall neither have peace nor place in Heaven. As the first was Pax regis, so this is Pax regni; As that was Pax gratiae, so this is Pax gloriae, that was peace with Heaven, this peace in Heaven: That was peace of grace, this is peace of glory.  

Cassiodorus in Psal. 36.  This Cassiodore describes negatively, Vbi nihil adversum nihil contrarium, which admits no adversity, no cross or calamity; for the servants of God have all tears wiped from their eyes. 
Reuel. 7.17.  There is a marvellous difference betwixt our present and future condition. We are here like seafaring men, encountered with many contrary winds; Never did any sail so prosperously in the Ocean of this present world, but sometimes he hath met with the storms of discontent: But there is sinus maris, & sinus matris; the port and haven of constant happiness. The excellency of this peace, the Scriptures set not forth positively, but in Alegoryes, and no marvel: For neither eye hath seen, 
1. Cor. 2.9.  nor ear hath heard, nor can it enter into the hearts of men, what the Saints and servants of God shall enjoy in heaven. Saint Austin knows not whether he should call it, 
August de Civit. Dei. 19 11.  Pax in aeterna vita, or aeterna vita in Pace: peace in eternal life, or eternal life in peace. And no marvel, for if he had been furnished with the tongues of men and Angels, he could never have expressed the excellency of it: Tam spe●iosum nomen pacis est; the name of this Peace is so specious, so precious.   

The second part: Of the Peacemaker.  
I Might further observe the excellency of Peace and Unity, as being founded in the blessed Trinity, three persons and one God. But I come to speak of the Peacemaker, whose honour it is, that Peace is the work of the blessed Trinity.  

2. Cor. 5.19.  First, the Apostle saith, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. 
Psal. 85.8.  He speaks peace to the souls of his servants, 
Psal. 46.10.  causeth wars to cease, and planteth peace in their borders. 
Levit. 26.6  Therefore is he called the God of Peace; yea the name of his house is Peace, for his dwelling is at Salem, that is, peace, Psal. 76.2.  

Rom. 5.1.  Christ jesus also is a blessed Peacemaker. For we have peace with God through our Lord jesus Christ. 
Eph. 2.14.  Yea he is called our peace itself, because peace is Praecipuum opus unigeniti, 
Chrysostom▪  the especial work of the Son of God. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Col. 1.20.   
He set at peace, by the blood of his cross, all things in earth and heaven. In which words we have both the price and bounds of this peace; the price, it was per sanguinem crucis, it cost him his dearest heart blood, and for the bounds, they are of a large extent, he reconciled all things in heaven and earth: He broke down a double partition wall, and reconciled man unto man, and both unto God; and therefore is he styled the prince of Peace.  
The holy-Ghost is a blessed Peacemaker: for Peace is one of those excellent fruits of the Spirit mentioned Gal 5.22. He calms a threefold war in the souls of men, that is, of the perturbations against reason, the flesh against the spirit, and the terror of Conscience wrestling with the wrath of God. And therefore is he called effectiuè, 
Augustin.  the Comforter. Now as the blessed Trinity, the Father, Son, and holy-Ghost, are Peacemakers, so are all the children of God, but diversely.  
Some employ themselves in making peace between God and man. So did Moses stand in the gap, and by his humble supplications, stayed the Cannons of Gods wrathful indignation from playing upon the Israelites: 
Psal. 106.23,  So Noah by his sacrifice procured a covenant of Peace, at the hands of the Lord, and stopped the fountains of the deep, 
Gen. 8.21.  and the floodgates of heaven, that the earth should no more be made a fish-pool by the inundation of waters.  
Some are for the peace of Conscience, who having a tongue of the learned, 
Esa. 50.4.  do minister a word to him that is weary. These come like Noah's Dove with the Olive-branch, 
Genes. 8.11.  like the pitiful Samaritan, with the oil of gladness, 
Luk. 10, 34.  and the balms of mercy. Quàm speciosi! Oh how beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of Peace? 
Rom. 10.15.   
Some are employed in outward and civil peace. So was Moses when he endeavoured to take up the quarrel between the two Hebrews. 
Exod. 2.13.  So was Abraham when he prevented the strife between himself and Lot, 
Gen. 13.8.  and stayed it between their servants. And so are those worthy Monarches, who establish peace in their own territories, and compound controversies between neighbour-Nations. Thus as there are diverse kinds of Peace, so are there of Peacemakers, and I may say of them all in our Saviour's words, Blessed are the Peacemakers. And so I come to the third part, which is the uniting of Peacemaking and Blessedness together.   

The third part.  
HEre I might first say the Peacemakers are blessed, Quoniam filij deo vocabuntur, because they shall be called the children of God; but that were to glean before the harvest.  
I may derive an argument from the excellency of Peace. If peace be such a gracious ornament, such a singular blessing, I may well conclude thereupon, that the Peacemaker is blessed. For in this the Axiom holds, 
Aristot. 1. poster. cap. 2.  Propter quod unum quodque tale, illud magis tale est: The temple being an excellent work, 
Psal. 74.5.  they were renowned that builded it: So Peace being a singular blessing, they must needs be thrice blessed that make it. As God is glorified in the excellent frame & structure of the heavens, 
Psal. 19.1.  because his wisdom, power & goodness shine therein most resplendently: So is the Peacemaker much honoured in this excellent work of Peace, because such goodness and blessedness are knit to the same inseparably.  
The peacemaker is blessed in the very act of peace; as he is esteemed a blessed man, that quencheth some violent fire: 
1. Sam. 25.32.  And therefore David blessed Abigail for staying his hand from the stroke of violence upon churlish Nabal, saying; Blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from shedding of blood.  
The peacemakers are blessed in their fame, 
Eccles. 7.1.  which is like a precious ointment: 
Plutar. in Alcibiad.  Erat in ore Graecis (saith Plutarch) it came into a proverb for the honour of Nicias, that Pericles kindled the wars, but Nicias quenched them. How did the Poets sing of the Spiders making their webs in harness in the days of Numa Pompilius? And how do stories ring of the shutting up of janus' Temple door, and keeping war under lock and key, in the days of Augustus Caesar? And the holy Historian, which sets forth Solomon famous for his wealth, 
2 Chro. 9.27.  who made Silver as plentiful as stones in the street, and for his wisdom, in that he had a heart like the sands of the sea shore; 
1 Reg. 4.26.  yet makes him in nothing more glorious than this, that he was a King of peace, and so a lively type of Christ the Prince of peace. As Tully said of Caesar, 
Plutarch, de utilet. cap. ab host.  that in erecting Pompey's statue, he had set up his own: so he that hath been the instrument of peace to others, procureth peace to his own soul. I may say with the Psalmist, mark the end of this man, for it is peace, yea, it is peace that shall never end.  
Thus have I hitherto shown that the Peacemakers are blessed. But the life of all that, depends principally upon Application.   

Application.  
But me thinks I see jehu marching furiously, and saying, What hast thou to do with Peace? For as David saith, 
Psal. 120.7.  there are some who are enemies to Peace, and for such here is a corrasive. First, we see what we may conclude of Peace-breakers; for in this also the Axiom is good, contrariorum contraria est ratio: if the Peacemaker be blessed, the Peace-breaker must needs be cursed; if the one be filius Dei, the other must needs be filius Diaboli, as Gregory concludes against him. 
Gregory.   
There are some, who like Salamanders, live in the fire of contention; that, are never quiet within themselves, but when they are at variance with others. Some there are that are still sowing the seeds, and blowing up the coals of contention. What are these, but the devil's bellowes, and his seedes-men? And therefore may S. Paul very fitly call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, adsurd men. 
2 Thes 3.2.  And he hath just cause to challenge the factious Corinthians to be carnal, 
1 Cor. 3.3.  because of their contentions: For as the beasts that were savage in the field, were quiet in the Ark: So would these men, were they come sincerely into the Ark of the Church; lay by the humour of contention, and (as the Apostle exhorteth) study to be quiet. 
1 Thes. 4.11. Bern. in Cant. ser. 29.  We homini (saith Saint Bernard) per quem uniculum pacis turbatur. Woe be to the man by whom the bond of peace is violated.  

Rom. 16.17.  Saint Paul in the sixteenth to the Romans, speaking of these Cankers & Caterpillars, exhorts us to mark those that make contentions, and avoid them. Mark them as you would the Basilisk, avoid them as you would a Pest-house, where Lord have mercy upon us is written upon the door. I will briefly do the one, let us all diligently endeavour the other.  
The first and greatest Peace-breaker in the world is Satan, a name expressing his nature; for he is an adversary to Peace. 
August. de temp. serm. 169.  Deus plantat, inimicus evellit; where God plants peace, the Devil plucks it up by the root; and like that wicked seedsman, sows the tares of contention.  
He first dissolved the happy peace between heaven & earth, between God and man.  
Secondly, he made a breach between man and man, so that when there were scarce three men in the world, he stirred up one of them to murder another.  
Thirdly, between man and the creatures: For whereas Adam, in his state of obedience, was Lord over all the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven: In his case of rebellion, which was by Satan's instigation, all the creatures became rebellious unto him.  
Fourthly, he broke the peace between the creatures themselves: For they which were like the strings of a well tuned instrument, yielding an excellent harmony; were brought into such a discord, as will never be reform while the world standeth.  
Fifthly, in a word, he made man at war within himself, whilst the unruly passions and perturbations do contend in his corrupted soul, like the opposite elements in the confused Chaos. This is a cruel peace-breaker, avoid him.  
Next to the Devil the prince of darkness, I may fitly rank the Bishops of Rome, who challengeth a great sovereignty in the suburbs of hell; 
Purgatory.  and concerning the kingdoms of the earth, take up that claim in the fourth of Luke, (doubtless as the Devil's deputies; 
Luke 4.6. ) All these kingdoms are mine, and to whomsoever I will I give them. They have changed Peter's keys, 
Mat. 16.19.  which Christ gave him to use, into Peter's sword, which Christ bade him put up with a subpaena of perishing by the sword, 
Mat. 26.52.  if he took it. I have wondered at that Romish ceremony; 
●●c▪ Cerem San. Roma. Eccles. lib. 1. sec. 7.  that The Pope on Christmas day at night, sends a hallowed sword to some great Prince, whom he in special manner favours. How unfit a present is a sword from a Churchman? surely a Bible had been much better beseeming his function. And how unfit a time is Christmas, a festivity celebrated in remembrance of Christ's incarnation, the Prince of Peace?  
They shall have the honour next to the Devil, of being the greatest Peace-breakers in the Christian world. For some of them forth of their intolerable pride, to raise their thrones on high, 
* Who raised such broils, both at home and abroad, ut tota fere Italia tumultuaretur. Platina.  as Boniface the 8. Some forth of their insatiable covetousness, to advance their kinsfolks, as Innocent the 8. Some forth of their implacable malice, and desire of revenge, as julius the second, (who was laborum patientissimus iniuriarum impatiens) have stirred up the storms of many bloody wars amongst Christians. 
Plate in jul. etc. Vide Gui story more large.  How unfit for a Bishop is that Elegy of julius the second. Moritur bellica gloria clarus, he died a brave Soldier. And diverse others I might mention, 
Spiritus mires magis q● religiosos g● joh. 11. 〈◊〉  of whom their own Historians do write, that they lived rather like Soldiers and swashbucklers, than Pastors and peacemakers. 
Greg Epi. I● Indict.  They did not greatly regard that speech of Gregory the great, Nos pastores facti sumus, non percussores: We should be feeders, not fighters. 
Vide Platinam in vit. Sergij tertij.  You shall hardly find such furious immanity amongst the Barbarians, as you shall read done by these holy Father's one upon another, both living and dead. No Church in Christendom can vie Schisms, 
Vide Genebra. Chro. & Onuphr.  for violence and durance, with the Church of Rome. Insomuch that she hath been sometimes like Cerberous with his three heads, and each of them ready to devour another. What broils and combustions have they raised betwixt Monarches and their Subjects, by sending forth their thunderbolts of Excommunication, absolving them from their due allegiance, and dissolving the strongest bonds of grace and nature? These great Peace-breakers have been well marked by diverse, avoid them.  
Next to the Popes, we will place the Pope's janissaries, the jesuites. Men sent forth to cast about the wildfire of broils in Kingdoms and Commonwealths; of whom I may say, 
Lactan. Instit. 6. 5.  as Lactantius speaks of the Philosophers, Nomen sibi solum retinuerunt. For how unlike are they to him, 
That is, jesus.  whose name they do most impudently and injuriously usurp? He went about doing good; they, 
Acts 10.38. The Devil. job 1.7.  like the great peripatetic in the first of job, go about doing mischief: His words and deeds were always attended with compassion and mercy; theirs, as men of their own unction confess, 
Quodlibet p. 84.  are cruelty and tyranny. None more meek and humble than he; none more proud and lofty than they. Indeed they resemble their Father and founder Ignatius Loyola, who had auspirated his new found devotion in blood, had not his Mule (like Balaams' Ass) been wiser than the Master, or rather the provident hand of God stopped his intended design. 
a He being offended with a Moor (with whom he travailed on the way) for speaking against the Virgin Mary; after the Moor was departed from him, disputed with himself whether he might lawfully kill him. At last, coming to a place that parted into two ways, he laid the rains on his Mules neck, resolving, that if she went the same way the Moor went, he would go after and kill him; but it pleased God that the Mule went another way. Ribadmeira. in vita Ignat. Lovila. lib. 1. cap. 3. Bern. in Psal. 91. ser. 6.   
As in ancient time you had no play without a Devil in it; so in these latter days, you have scarce a treason, but a jesuite is an actor in it. The times have been, that other Friars and Monks have had their shares in treacherous conspiracies, but now the jesuites have in a manner engrossed those things into their own hands. These are Machiavelian Peace-breakers, avoid them.  
But what, are our Church and Commonwealth without Peace-breakers? Would to God they were. I may say with Saint Bernard, Pax a paganis, pax ab hereticis, etc. Neither Pagans nor Heretics (blessed be God) do much molest us: But we are encumbered with certain contentious brethren, who strive as earnestly about matter of ceremony and circumstance, 
jude Epi. vers. 3.  as Saint jude exhorteth us to do for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints: and fear more to put a Surplice on their backs, then to derive that dreadful woe upon their souls; Woe be to me, 
1 Cor. 9.16.  if I preach not the Gospel. It will be objected, that what they do is for religion and zeal to God's glory. But alas cannot zeal and religion stand in a Church professing and advancing the Gospel without strife and contention? I doubt not but I may say of some of them; They have the zeal of God, though not according to knowledge. Oh how happy were it, if they would let judgement be their guide, and not suffer themselves to be overruled by prejudicate opinion.  
But may not I say also with Saint Austin concerning some others, 
Aug. in Psal. 38.  There is vox pietatis, which is, excusatio iniquitatis? There is nothing more ordinary than specious pretences. The Turks say it is for Mahomet that they make war upon Christians, and the Pope pleads it is in ordine ad Deum, that he disturbs Commonwealths. But what tell you me of jacobs' voice, when I see Esau's hands; these men may be pacidi, sure they are not pacifici.  
What? is it the Church government they would have altered from Episcopal to Presbyterial? If that were granted, what the issue thereof would be, let Amsterdam admonish us, where the Brownists 
a See the profane schism of the Brownists. cap. 10. pag. 58.  do so ordinarily and violently toss their censures and Excommunications one against another; 
b johnson and Ainsworth, the Pastor, and Doctor. And their Disciples into Anabaptism, etc.  subdivide themselves into diverse Schisms, and Sects, and carry themselves so imperiously 
c Franc. johnson their Pastor and Patriarch, suffered his aged father, (who went to Amsterdam to make peace between his sons) to stand two hours on his feet before him, whilst himself sat all the time. And sent him home, yea to his grave, with the sentence of Excommunication upon him. See the profane schism of the Bro. p. 65.  in their Consistories, that if any Bishop amongst us (whom they challenge for Lordlings) carry himself more Lordly and loftily then those men do, deponatur. But these are brethren, and I hearty wish therefore, that by some good means they were reform; if not, it is the Apostles precept that they be avoided.  
Neither is the Commonwealth without Peace-breakers. You have certain Leguleians, some Lawyers I say (for the judicious and conscionable Lawyer I honour as a worthy man and member in the Commonwealth) who either through ignorance, or of a worse mind, are the causes of many suits and controversies. Those who Nero-like set all on fire that they may warm themselves by the heat thereof: Those who do study ut fraudem fariant legi; 
Gratian.  find tricks to pervert and cousin the Law. Those who are like unconscionable Surgeons, that keep sores from healing to continue their gain; those are the boutefeus, whom I observe to be great Peace-breakers.  
The many suits depending in every Court argue our much want of peace. And albeit I may say with comfort, that I never yet had any suit against any man, nor any against me in any Court in this Kingdom: yet when along the shore, I see with Themistocles the ribs and racks of Galleys tossed in these surges, I condole their condition. But peradventure it will be objected, it is the Client's fault, whose contentious disposition cannot endure to be without suits. If so, I wish him the benefit in the Emblem; Let him lurk close under these bushes, till he be thoroughly fleeced. Were I before them who possess the honourable seats of justice, I would exhort and beseech them to discard needless suits, and to dispatch the needful.  
Now besides these, there is a generation of bloody Esau's, who profess themselves enemies to Peace; those who are but a word and a stab; or, which is worse, settle upon the dregges of their malice, till they obtain opportunity of revenge. Amongst such, a small quarrel yields a challenge, and brings them into the field, 
* As Aristippus answered one that objected fear to him in danger by sea. Tu quidem non magnopere sollicitus es pro anima nebulonis; ego pro Aristippi anima. Aul. Gel. Noct. Att. 19.1.  where the prodigality of their lives show that they are little worth. To give one of them the fool were piaculare; yet do they not stick to demonstrate in act, what they detest in conceit; for what greater folly then to become a slave to unruly passion? and to hazard both soul and body upon a needless point, yea upon so needless points as they commonly do? His Majesty, forth of his Princely care and deep judgement, hath well observed the misery and madness belonging to these Duels: those that are wise will avoid them.  
But here I will pause; for if I should descend from general faculties to personal faults, my speech would run in infinitum.  
It hath fared with me in this my last discourse, as with a Traveller, who upon the hearing of hue and cry, leaves the road to pursue Malefactors; For these Peace-breakers have drawn me a great deal out of the way, wherein I was walking. But I will return into the King's highway, the way of Peace, which is the road to heaven.  
The time doth admonish me to draw to an end; yet I am loath my Sun should set in a cloud, my calm should end in a storm, and my song of Peace and unity in a discord.  
As before I exhorted you in Saint Paul's words to mark the Peace-breakers, and to avoid them: So must I now say with the same Apostle, 
Rome 14.19.  Let us follow those things that concern Peace. If we will walk in the way of Peace, then shall we do well, like good soldiers, to follow Christ jesus our captain, and like good subjects, him our Prince of Peace. And him we have both lucem and ducem, our light and our guide; for he came into the world, 
Luke 1.79.  to give light to them that sit in darkness, and to guide our feet into the way of Peace. We will therefore mark some of his precepts, and observe some of his paths, that we may walk in them.  

Greg. Epist. lib. 11. Indict. 6. Epist. 45.  The first path to Peace is Humility, which Gregory calls radicem pacis, the root of Peace. Learn of me (saith Christ) that I am lowly and meek of heart, 
Mat. 21.30.  and you shall find rest to your souls. He came like rain into a fleece of Wool, 
Psal. 72.6.  or (as it is in the Hebrew) into the mown grass, which falls softly and makes no noise; 
Nullum strepitum facit. Lact. lib. 4. ca 16. Mat. 12.19.  as Lactantius expounds the place; yea, he did not strive, neither was his voice heard in the streets. Saint chrysostom saith truly, 
Chrys. in Rom. hom. 27.  Nihil adeo corpus ecclesiae scindit atque superbia: Nothing rends the body of the Church so much as pride doth; which accords with that of Solomon; 
Pro. 13.10.  Only by pride do men make contention. And what I pray you hath caused the present quarrels in our Church, but this? For when men cannot arrive at greatness by a direct course, they seek it by a compass of their own devising; if they cannot have it by worth, they will seek it by singularity: But whosoever will be the son of Peace, must follow Christ jesus our Prince of Peace in his paths and precepts of Humility.  
Again, justice and equity are great Peacemakers: For Mercy and Truth meet together, 
Psal. 85.10.  Righteousness and Peace kiss each other. Wrongs and injuries kindle the fire of contention, justice and equity quench it. Those that are employed either in matters of arbitrement or judgement, must be like the Centre in the midst of the Circumference, which is as near to one part of heaven as another. As when our Saviour saluted his Disciples with a Pax vobis, Peace be unto you, 
john 20.19.  stetit in medio, he stood in the midst of them: and it is his main precept, Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, 
Mat. 7.12.  do you the same to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Thus justice and equity are the special paths wherein every son of Peace must follow our Prince of Peace Christ jesus.  
Another especial path of Peace is Patience, which will teach a man not to offer, 
1 Cor. 6.7. They must be patiented that will be Peacemakers. Pro. 19.11.  but rather to suffer wrong; for they must be patientes that will be pacifici, as Tertullian saith. They must account it their honour to pass by a transgression, and hold it pious wisdom to buy their peace, though it be with some wrong, some damage: 
Gen. 13.9.  As Abraham offered to Lot the choice of the right hand or the left, which was his own in equity; and as our Saviour paid tribute, when he might have pleaded immunity. And here again we have 
a Vtrumque es mihi domine jesus & speculum patiendi & praemium patientis. Bern super Cant. ser. 48.  Christ a pattern without a parallel; 
b Gessit mira, periulit durae, nec tantum dura sed & indigna Bern. de di●ig●●do Deo.  never was there any, who endured the like injuries and indignities, especially if you consider the persons, agent, and patiented, scoffs, railings, slanders, blasphemies, bonds, buffets, whips, nipping, thorns, nails, spear, yea whatsoever hell, or the malice of miscreants could device against him: Yet all this he endured with admirable patience; yea in all this he was tanquam ovis, as a sheep before the sheerer, 
Non solùm coram tondente sed coram occidente obmutuit. Bern.  he was dumb; yea as a sheep not only before the shearer, but even before the slaughterer he opened not his mouth.  
And in this path of Patience, must every son of Peace follow Christ jesus our Prince of Peace.  
The last path of Peace that I will observe, is Christian wisdom and discretion: For as Peace is the tranquillity of order (according to Saint Augustine's description: 
Pax est tranquillit as ordinis. Aug. de civi. dei. 19.13. ) so Wisdom and discretion must marshal order, as the Schooleman observes. 
Aquinas.  And therefore he saith truly, that although Peace and Charity have great affinity, yet in this they differ, That Charity hath Peace, 
Charitas pacem habet, sapientia facit.  Wisdom makes Peace. And this made Gregory tell Bishop Serenus, who being transported with rash zeal had scandalised diverse, 
Indict. 4. Epi. 9  Zelum discretione condisses, you should have seasoned your zeal with discretion; yea, it is the precept of our blessed Saviour, 
Col. 2.3.  in whom all the treasures of wisdom are hid: 
Mark. 9.30.  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another, showing that the brine of discretion must be the means to season and conserve the blessing of Peace.  
Lo these are the paths of Peace, wherein the sons of Peace must follow their Prince of Peace Christ jesus. And (that I may use the Apostles words, Gal. 6. 
Gal. 6.16.  As many as walk after these rules, Peace shall be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.  
Yet one friend of Peace more I may not altogether forget, and that is Prayer. This chrysostom calls propugnaculum pacis, the fortress of Peace. It is the rule of the kingly Prophet, and therefore the rather to be regarded: 
Psal. 122.6.  O pray for the peace of jerusalem. 
As Rom. 12.18. Colos. 3.15. Phil. 2 1. 2 Thes 3.16. & passim.  It is the frequent Prayer and precept of the profound Apostle. Therefore (to conclude) I will accordingly turn my speech from man to God, and say; Blessed be God, who hath planted peace in our borders: Blessed be jesus Christ, who hath given us peace with God, with men, with our own souls. Lord let this excellent work of Peace prosper still in the hands of our King of Peace; and establish his throne in Peace, to him and his posterity, whilst the Sun and Moon shall endure; and that through jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, might, majesty, and dominion now and for evermore. Amen.   
FINIS.   

THE SECOND Sermon. Blessed are the Peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  
SAint chrysostom in his fift Homily upon Genesis saith, it fares with him in handling that Scripture, 
Qui in aurifodinis laborant, etc.  as it doth with them who labour in mines of Gold. For they having found some rich vein of Ore, hardly cease from digging. And so fares it with me, who, having in the golden mine of these Beatitudes' light upon a a rich vein, I mean this beatitude, which in the judgement of Saint Austin (the most judicious of the ancient fathers) is the most excellent of seven, 
August. Serm. Dom. in mon. lib. 1.  I am loath to cease from prosecuting what I have begun.  
I have heretofore observed, that these words contain a Benediction, Blessed are the Peacemakers, and a reason or manifestation of the benediction: For they shall be called the children of God. The benediction I have handled, and the reason now remains to be considered. We read in the first of Samuel and the seaventeenth, 
1. Sam. 17.25.  that David having heard somewhat in general, concerning the reward of him that should encounter and conquer Goliath; For his better encouragement in that combat, inquires in more particular, 
Ver. 26.  What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistim? So, me thinks, those who have heard in general that the Peacemaker is blessed being the sons of peace, should for their further comfort and encouragement, in the practice of this excellent duty, inquire more particularly wherein this blessedness doth consist. And that is the thing which I now intent to show, in these words, For they shall be called the children of God; wherein I note these four particulars.  
First, a word of Connexion, which knits the benediction and reason together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, For.  
Secondly the exaltation or advancement of the Peacemakers, For they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the children of God.  
Thirdly the appropriation of this advancement, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, They, not only, cum alijs, but prae alijs, 
Before others.  are the children of God.  
Fourthly the promulgation or publication of this advancement, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, They shall be called so, they shall be called the children of God.  
And of these points in order.  

The first part: The word of connection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, For.  
ONe would have thought, it had been enough to hear from the mouth of our blessed Saviour positively, Blessed are the Peacemakers. For if Pythagoras his ipse dixit, was such a stickler amongst his scholars, how much more should our Saviour's be amongst his followers? 
1. joh. 5.6.  If we receive the testimony of men (saith Saint john) the testimony of God is greater. Lo, here is the testimony of him who is both God and man, and therefore the greatest that may be, and consequently to be carefully regarded. It is lawful to lay the opinions and positions of men in the balance of examination, 
Ratio cum ratione.  that Reason may be poised and pondered with Reason, as Saint Austin saith. But this honour should be ever given to the word of Christ, that we should say with the Centurion, 
Mar. 8.3.  Speak the word only. And when Christ hath spoken the word, we should rest in it, & wait upon it. Yet hath it pleased our blessed Saviour, for our further instruction & comfort, to add to his comfortable assertion a pithy reason.  
Every one hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, either sound or seeming reason for his actions and opinions, Etiam si cum ratio; ne insaniat, he will rather show himself senseless, then seem unreasonable. Thus he that cast his money into the Sea, did it, because they were malae cupiditates; of whom one said well, Ego dubito, 
Lactan. lib. 3. ca 13.  vtrumne sanus an demens fuerit, I doubt whether the man were mad or in his right wits, for the evil was not in the money, but the mind of the possessor. The Epicure hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of voluptuousness, 
1. Cor. 15.32.  Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye; whereas his inference should have been that of Esaiah to Hezekiah, 
Esa. 38.7.  Set thine house in an order, for thou must dye. Adam after his fall, had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hypocrisy, 
Gen. 3.10.  I heard thy voice in the Garden (saith he) therefore I was afraid. He might as well have complained of the light, because he had sore eyes; for the fear that shaked Adam like a fever, was from within him, namely his sinful condition.  
The libertine hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of security; 
Rom. 6.15.  We may sinne, because we are not under the Law, but under Grace. But Saint Paul hath taught us a better consequent in the second to Titus. 
Tit. 2.11.  The grace of God, which bringeth salvation unto all men, teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to have our conversation soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world. Our disputer too, hath his presumptuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Disput. pag. 7. Lactan. lib. 2. cap. 12.  We may not kneel when we receive the Sacrament, for that gesture would argue an inferiority on our parts to Christ. May not I say of him in Lactantius words, Hic profectè rationem non asserit, sed evertit: This man is no supporter, but a supplanter of reason. For surely his reason is nearer to blasphemy against Christ, than we are in equality to Christ. Thus humane reasons are, many times, like the Comets, not fixed in any orb of truth; and like pictures, which a fare off seem very fair, but at hand are very course. But our Saviour's reasons are like himself, sound, divine, heavenly.   

The second part: The advancement of the Peacemakers.  
AND such is the weighty reason here used, The Peacemakers are blessed, for they are the children of God, And this indeed is a great advancement. 
Stromat. lib. 2.  For as Clemens Alexandrinus, concurring with Plato, saith, It is vera beatitudo, true blessedness to be like God, which is the case of all God's children, who have that image restamped upon them, which was defaced in Adam.  
When Esau found that his brother had prevented him, and got the blessing from him, he wept hitterly, and said, 
Gen. 27.38.  Hast thou but one blessing? Bless me, even me also my father: but the aged & indulgent father, who would gladly have heaped innumerable blessings upon his best affected son, had already conferred upon jacob the spiritual blessing not to be revoked. And therefore albeit he had a temporal blessing for him, The fatness of the Earth, 
Ver. 39,  and the dew of Heaven: yet the same, being no way comparable to the spiritual, he will not vouchsafe it the name of a blessing. But behold, we have here, not the blessing of Esau, but of jacob; not a temporal and earthly, but a spiritual and heavenly, yea, that which as fare exceeds all earthly blessings, as the heavens are above the earth. And this only the God of heaven dispenseth.  

Dan. 2.48.  Nabuchadnezzar may make Daniel a great man, give him many and great gifts, and make him governor over the whole province of Babel; 
Gen. 41.42.43  Daniel the second. Pharaoh may set joseph over all the land of Egypt, put his ring upon his hand, array him in garments of fine linen, put a golden chain about his neck, set him upon his second Chariot, and cause the people to bow unto him, Gen 41. Ahashuerosh may  Mordecai in royal apparel, 
Hest. 6.8.  set the crown royal upon his head, and cause him to ride on his own horse through the streets of the City, Hester 6: 
Hest. 6.11.  Thus shall it be done to the man, whom the kings of the earth will honour. But to make us the children of God, to give us heaven for our inheritance, to advance us to the Throne with Christ, and to invest us with the crown of glory, it is only in his power who is the King of Kings: and this indeed is the transcendent advancement. If it was esteemed a great favour, that Christ called his disciples friends: 
joh. 15.15.  how great is this honour, that God vouchsafes to call us his sons, his children?  
God hath diverse sons, he hath a son aeterna generatione, 
By eternal generation.  his only begotten Son Christ jesus, john 1. He hath sons potenti creatione, 
By creation.  for so the Angels are called job. 1. Dignitatis participatione, 
By partaking his dignity.  for so kings are styled Psal. 82. Publica professione, 
By public profession.  For so the sons of Sheth are entitled, Gen. 6. Gratiosa adoptione, 
By adoption.  For so all the faithful are called in sundry places of Scripture. It is true (as Saint Austin saith) Nemo in filijs Dei similis filio Dei: 
Aug. in Psal. 88  Amongst all the sons of God, 
Heb. 1.3.  none is like the only begotten Son, who is the brightness of the glory, and the engraven form of his person; Yet is this our sonship by adoption, exceeding admirable and comfortable.  
It is admirable in diverse respects, First it is not forth of any desert, which amongst men is the ordinary ground of Adoption, as Saint Austin saith, 
Aug. in joh. tract. 2.  Homines voluntate faciunt quod natura non potuerunt. men's wills supply where nature fails; for having no children of their own, they adopt some others; 
Quoniam sinistra fortuna mihi filios eripuit. Sueton.  So did Augustus Caesar Tiberius, Pharaohs daughter Moses, Mordecai Hester; and many others, whom divine and humane stories do mention. But there was no such necessary ground of our adoption. For albeit we wanted a Father, yet God wanted no sons, no children. He had the elect Angels upon whom he might have conferred his favours; he had his only begotten son, 
Colos. 1.13.  the son of his love, concerning whom he hath more than once proclaimed from heaven, 
Mat. 3.17. Mat. 17.5.  This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. So that I may say in Saint Bernard's words, Profecto haec est indulgentia non indigentia: Surely this proceeded forth of God's indulgence, not indigence; It was not any defect in God, that caused him to adopt us his children.  
Secondly our adoption is yet more admirable, in that it is founded in Christ. For we were predestinated to the adoption of children by Christ jesus. 
Eph. 1.5.  And albeit the heavenly inheritance did anciently belong to us, as being prepared for us from the foundation of the world; 
Mat. 25.34.  Yet, as Esau sold his birthright, which the law of nature had cast upon him, so we in Adam's atayndor, did forfeit our inheritance, which God had prepared for us: But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son that he might redeem us, and we might receive the adoption of sons. Gal. 4.5.  
In such a case as this, men cannot brook rivality, or copartnership, no more than the world can endure two Suns: Yet Christ jesus, who was the only Son of God, 
Qui unicus natus est unus manner noluit. Aug. in joh. trac. 2.  would not remain so; here was mira dignatio, a wonderful favour. Yea, he that was the Son of God, became the son of man, 
Aug. in Psal. 53  that we the sons of men, might become the sons of God; here was mira mutatio, a wonderful change. Yea, that which was yet more strange, 
Aug. de verb. Dom. Serm. 27.  Emit sibi fratres sanguine suo, as the same father saith; It pleased him to purchase brethren, and that at no less a price then his precious blood. So, that which might in all likelihood have been a powerful bar, became an effectual bond of our adoption.  
Thirdly, this our adoption was yet more admirable, in respect of our uncapableness of this favour, this honour. For although adoption be gratiosa admissio ad participandam haereditatem, even a free and gracious admittance to the participation of an inheritance, as the Scholeman saith: Yet commonly, 
Aquinas. 3ae. q. 23.  men in this act have an eye to some worth in the person whom they adopt. But as David said to Saul, 
1. Sam. 18.18.  Who am I, and what is my father's house, that I should be son in law to the King? So may I say, who were we, and what were our merits, that God should vouchsafe to take us for his children? We might confess ingenuously with the prodigal child, 
Luke 15.19.  We are not worthy to be called thy sons; and supplycate humbly with him, make us as one of thy hired servants, vouchsafe us even the least measure of thy favour, and it is more than we can expect, than we can deserve, To see this honour done by some great Monarch to a poor beggar, must needs be wonderful in the eyes of the beholders; yet that comes exceedingly too short in proportion & comparison of our adoption by almighty God. For what proportion, what comparison between heaven and earth, God and man? Yea, if our condition had been base and ignoble only, and not sinful also, it had been less strange: But we, being by birth and conception wretched sinners, 
Psal. 51.5. Rom. 5.10.  enemies to God, and by nature the children of wrath, 
Ephes. 2.3.  to make us the children of God, is an unspeakable favour, and deserves that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fift to the Romans, 
Rom. 5.8.  God sets forth his love. Sarah spoke eagerly and angrily concerning Ishmael, 
Gen. 21.10.  This son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son. And might not God have said as roundly and resolutely concerning us, These bondslaves of sin and Satan shall not be heirs with my Son? But such is the goodness of our gracious God, that he deals with us like the father of the Prodigal child, of whom Saint Ambrose 
Ambros. in Luke 15.  saith, Filius timet convitium, pater adornat convivium. The son fears a sharp check, but the father provides a dainty feast. For he, not only pardons our indignities, 
Psal. 103.3.4.  but crownes us with mercy and loving kindness.  
Fourthly, this our adoption is admirable in the latitude of advancement; as Saint Paul presseth it most sound and sweetly in the eight to the Romans; 
Rom. 8.17.  If we be children, we are also heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with jesus Christ. 
Chrys. in Rom. Hom. 14.  Here chrysostom observes three notable passages of honour, every one arising by degrees above another. For first, where as one may be a child and yet not be an heir, we are not only children but heirs also. Secondly, we are not heirs to any mortal man, though never so potent, but heirs to the immortal and omnipotent God. Thirdly, we are not basely associated in this our inheritance, we are coheirs annexed to jesus Christ, than which there can be no greater honour. For when our Saviour will propose the greatest advancement that may be, to them who have done worthily in the spiritual warfare, 
Reuel. 3.21.  it is this, To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my Throne, as I have overcome and sit with my father on his Throne.  
In regard therefore of the advancement which attends our adoption, 
Psal. 1.12.  well might Saint john say, Dedit eis potestatem, as the vulgar latin hath it, To them he gave power to be made the sons of God: 
Greg. super Ezech. hom. 6.  and Gregory thereupon, Quid hac potestate altius? Quid hac altitudine sublimus? Well might he call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a prerogative or dignity, 
jansen Conc. Cap. 1.  as jansenus well interprets the word: For it is the greatest prerogative that heaven and earth do yield. If it were the highest ambition of that great conqueror to be esteemed jovis filius, 
Alexander, the son of jupiter.  what an honour is it to be called the children of jehovah, the great God of heaven and earth? Well might that Apostle say, 
1. joh. 3.1.  Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Surely this great advancement deserves an Ecce to usher it for demonstration, Behold; and a Qualem charitatem to follow it for admiration, What manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us. 
joh. 3.16.  For here is that Sic Deus dilexit mundum: So God loved the world; and this Sic is like that Sicut in the Lamentations of jeremy, 
Lamen. 1.12.  it cannot be paralleled. 
Psal. 8.4.  What is man, O Lord, that thou art so mindful of him? What are the sons of men that thou shouldst so visit them, so honour them.  
Now as this advancement is very admirable, so is it very comfortable: yea, here is a confluence of all comforts belonging to it. It were a tedious, nay, an impossible task to recount them all; I will mention a few, yet so, that by a cluster or two of Grapes, 
Numb. 13.24.  you may judge of the riches of Canaan. Hence it is, that the children of God are freed from the spirit of bondage, 
Rom. 8.15.  and receive the spirit of Adoption, whereby they cry Abba father; 
Mat. 7.  they have both access and audience before the throne of grace. Hence it is that they enjoy the especial providence of almighty God; 
Mat. 6.  for their heavenly father careth for them. Father's lay up for their children, 
2 Cor. 12.14.  saith Paul, and how marvellous (saith David) is the goodness which the Lord hath laid up for his children, 
Psal. 31.19.  even before the sons of men? And no marvel, 
Rom. 8.32.  for he that spared not his own son, but gave him for us all to death, how should he not with him give us all things that are good? Are the children of God in want? the Lord is ready to relieve them; rather than they shall lack, the stony rock shall yield them water, 
Num. 19.11.  the heavens shall reign down Quails and Manna in abundance. 
Exod. 16.13.  The poor Widow shall relieve Elias, 
1 Reg. cap. 17. & 19  the Angel from heaven shall furnish him, and the ravenous Ravens shall feed him: Thus all the creatures shall be serviceable to the children of God, and the earth, the air, the heavens shall be storehouses for them. Are they in danger or distress? 
Psal. 34.7.  the Angels become their guard, and do pitch their tents about them. Are they not all ministering spirits to the children of God, 
Heb. 1.14.  that are heirs of salvation? Are they sick? The Lord will make their bed in their sickness. 
Psal. 41.3.  Are they alone? the father will come and dwell with them. 
john 14.23.  Are they in sorrow and heaviness? behold, their heavenly Father is the father of mercies, 
2 Cor. 1.3.  & the God of all consolation. Have they a journey, a progress to undertake? the Lord will be their fidus Achates, as he was to jacob in his journey to Mesopotamia, 
Gen. 28.15.  he will be with them whither soever they go. But why go I about to number those comforts that are numberless? Or why do I confine my speech to the things of this life? Neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for his children in the life to come. There is that kingdom that cannot be shaken, 
Heb. 12.28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mat. 25.34. Heb. 11.10.  which is the ancient inheritance. There is that City whose builder and founder is God, that glorious City which the Angel measured with a golden reed, 
Reuel. 21.15.  into which they are enfranchised. There is that blessed society, innumerable Angels, 
Heb. 12.22.  the spirits of just and holy men, and jesus Christ the mediator of the new covenant, to whom they are joined.  
There are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
1 Pet. 5.4.  those thrones and crowns of glory, that shall never fade. Yea, there the sons of God shall shine like the Sun in the kingdom of their father. In a word, 
Mat. 13.43.  from this Adoption it is, that the children of God have an interest in all the comforts, and all the creatures that heaven and earth do yield; according to Saint Paul's epiphoneme, whether it be Paul, or Apollo's, or Cephus, or the world, or life, or death, 
1 Cor. 3.23.  or things present or things to come, they are all yours, because you are Christ's and Christ is Gods.  
Behold here the admirable and comfortable advancement of God's children: And therein behold the blessed condition of the Peacemaker; who is so estranged from the world; that he doth not in some degree desire advancement? and who is so void of judgement, that he doth not prefer this honour before the greatest advancement in the world? 
Aug. in Psa. 84.  Habetis patrem, habetis patriam, habetis patrimonium, saith Saint Austin. If you be the sons of peace, you are the children of God, you have a loving father, a rich inheritance, a goodly patrimony.  
When the Apostle Peter speaks of this, he breaks forth into this vehement acclamation, Blessed be God, 
1 Pet. 1.3.  even the father of our Lord jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, but is reserved for us in the heavens.  
Give me leave now to make some Application of what I have delivered, and so I will finish this main point. And first, I hope that this discourse hath not been heard of you without comfort. We hold it a great cause of joy to be the children of Nobles, and to be admitted into the favour of Princes, and surely they are great temporal blessings, that men may lawfully rejoice in. But let me say unto you in our Saviour's words, Rejoice not in this, 
Luke 10.20.  but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven: let it be your joy that you are the children of God, and in favour with the King of Kings, as the Apostle saith, Rejoice in the Lord, 
Phil. 4.4.  and again I say rejoice.  
Again, are we the children of God? fare be it from us to undervalue the glorious inheritance of the Saints of God in life. Fare be it from us to disesteem it, like that carnal Cardinal, 
Cardinal of Bourbon.  who said he would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise. Let us not be like profane Esau, who for the satisfying of his appetite lost his birthright. 
Heb. 12.16.  But rather let us say resolutely, with Naboth, 
1 Reg. 21.3.  God forbidden that I should make away the inheritance of my fathers. So, God forbidden, that for all the vain and transitory profits and pleasures upon earth, we should deprive ourselves of those rivers of pleasures, which the Saints of God do enjoy in heaven. Bernard saith truly of the best things of this present life, possessa onerant, amata inquinant, amissa cruciant. The possession of them burdens us, the love of them defiles us, and the loss of them vexes us: And the time will come, when either the day of death, or the day of judgement shall swallow them all up, as the Ocean doth the rivers. For the glory of this world passeth away like a shadow. 
1 Cor. 7.31.   
Again, are we the children of God? then let us endeavour that our carriage and comportment may answer this dignity. It becomes not the children of Nobles to be conversant in base actions. And how unfit is it for the children of God to become like the Indian drudges? to be taken up with the corruptions of this evil world, and to have their affections in caeno, when they should be in caelo? Our Saviour hath taught us better in the fift of Matthew, Let your light so shine before men, 
Mat. 5.16.  that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.  
To conclude, Let us, as the Apostle Peter exhorts, 
2 Peter 1.10. Rom. 8.16.  study to make our election sure by good works; Let us get the evidence of our adoption sealed up to our souls and consciences by the spirit of God. Then let the earth totter, and her pillars tremble under her; let the sea roar even to astonishment; let the heavens burn to dissolution, and the elements with vehement heat be consumed, this our adoption shall be our comfort on earth, and our crown in heaven for ever more.   

The third part: The appropriation of this advancement.  
But what, is this Adoption tied only to the ornament of Peace? Surely no: 
Gal 3.26.  For Saint Paul saith, You are all the sons of God by faith in Christ jesus. And Saint Austin in largeth the means, 
Per gratiam, per fidem, per sacramentum, per sanguinem Christi. De verb. Dom. ser. 63.  saying, We are the sons of God by grace, by faith, by the Sacrament, by the blood of Christ. Every faithful Christian is made one with Christ, whereby he becomes the child of God; He hath the image of God stamped upon him. And as our natural birth makes us the children of our earthly parents: so our supernatural and new birth makes us the children of our heavenly father.  
May not I then say of the Peacemaker, as Saint Paul of the jews? What is then the preferment of the jew? So, 
Rom. 3.1.  what is the advantage and advancement of the Peacemaker? Yes, and answer with him in the same place: much every way. Though jesse had eight sons, yet was David only the Lords darling: Though Christ had twelve Disciples, yet was john the Disciple whom jesus loved: Though all jacobs' children were dear unto him, yet was Bemamin the son of his right hand: So may I say, that howsoever all the faithful are the children of God, and consequently blessed, yet the Peacemakers have that honour in a more especial kind, because they do in a more lively manner resemble almighty God, in that which is most excellent. For as amongst the divine attributes, some of them are quoad nos, more excellent than others, as namely those of mercy and peace, which are the sanctuary to a distressed sinner; so all those, who do in a more especial manner come nearest to God in the same, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a kind of eminency called the children of God: For as Bernard saith, Deus, Deus pacis, 
Bern.  ergo pacifici filij Dei iure optimo vocantur. God is the God of peace, and therefore those who are Peacemakers, are the children of God by especial right. Though the body of man consist of diverse humours, yet the denomination of the constitution is from that which is most predominate: So, though the children of God be endued with many virtues, yet are they denominated from that which is most excellent, and that is Peace. For there is an emphasis in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they. 
2 Sam. 23.  They are like David's worthies amongst his soldiers, who excelled them in prowess; 
1 Sam. 10.23.  & like Saul amongst the Israelites, higher than the rest by the head. Though all judea be the Lords, yet the Lord love's the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of jacob. 
Psal. 87.2:  So, albeit he hath many children, yet his sons of Peace are dearest to him. And as jacob bequeathing to every of his sons a blessing, yet bestowed one portion upon joseph above his brethren: 
Gen. 48.22.  Even so the God of jacob, though he have blessings for all his children, yet those that are Peacemakers are blessed above others. As one Star excels another in glory, so do the sons of Peace exceed all that shine in the firmament of the Church: And hereafter when others shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, they shall shine as the Stars for ever & ever.  
Again, to this question: Is our Adoption tied only to this ornament of Peace? I may answer further. Albeit it is not only tied to that, yet is it so tied to that, that wheresoever the one is wanting, the other cannot be enjoyed. A man cannot be the child of God, quantum vis polleat virtutibus, 
Gregor. pastor. part. 3. admon. 23.  though he were qualified with many other virtues, except he be of a peaceable disposition: he that is not filius pacis, the son of peace, 
Non per venitur ad vocabulum beati, nisi per nomen pacifici. Aug. de temp. 169.  must needs be filius mortis, filius maledictionis, the son of death & malediction. Where there is an emptiness of peace, there is a barrenness of grace, and the virtues, how specious soever they be, are but comets: But wheresoever peace is, there are the children of God, yea they shall be called the children of God: And so I come to the fourth and last point of this Advancement, the promulgation or publication of it.   

The fourth part: The promulgation of this advancement.  
ANd here a doubt meets us, which may seem to eclipse all the former comforts. For as one says, multa videntur & non sunt▪ so, multa vocantur & non sunt: As many things seem which are not, so many are called that are not, as Ireneus said to Marcus the Gnosticke, 
Iren. li. 1. ca 10.  Vocem solùm habes, virtutem verò ipsius ignoras: Thou hast the name, but thou knowest not the virtue of it. Thus the Church of Sardis, in the third of the Revelation, 
Revel 3. 1●  had a name that she lived, when she was dead. And the Church of Laodicea, in the same Chapter, 
Vers. 17.  said she was rich and wanted nothing, whereas she was poor, and miserable, and naked. And did not the jews ordinary ostentation carry these titles before it, The seed of Abraham, the Temple of the Lord? yes, and that without any just cause, God knows: For they had degenerated from Abraham, & polluted the Temple. Thus the Romanists at this day, do engross to themselves the names of Catholics, and wheresoever they meet with the name of the Church, they are ready, 
Aelian. var. hist.  like frantic Thrasyllus, to arrest it for their own.  
But, qui vocantur & non sunt, 
Aug. in 1. Epi. joh. tract. 4.  quid illis prodest nomen, ubires non est, saith Saint Austin? What good shall the name do them, when that which the name imports, is wanting to them? surely none at all. What benefit was it to the impure Novations, that forth of their swelling pride, they took to themselves the name of Puritans, as Eusebius writes? 
Euseb. hist. eccle. lib. 6. cap. 42.  And what availeth it some to arrogate to themselves the names of brethren, the people of God, & the like, except we might see them humble, and the children of peace? Antiochus who breathed out nothing but tyranny and cruelty against the Church of God, was honoured with that title Epiphanes, 
The illustrious.  whereas he better deserved, and so was called by some, Antiochus Epinianes, rathet Antiochus the furious than the famous: so was Absalon called his Father's peace; whereas he was indeed his Father's grief and disgrace. And doth not the Bishop of Rome style himself servus seruorum Dei, whilst he endeavours to be Dominus dominantium? Surely that humble title, and his unlimited power agree as ill together, 
Plutar. in vita Demost.  as Demosthenes' short breath and long periods. The changing of their names at their entering into the Popedom, 
 si homo ante malefacius fuerit, Bonifacius appelletur, si rusticus Vrbanus, si improbus Innocentius, etc. Pol. Virgil. de invent. lib. 4. ca 10  intended by them for ornament, is justly censured as ridiculous, by Polidore Virgil. For if there be mutatio nominis, non hominis, a change of the name, but not of the man (only there is a Wolf cased in a Lamb's skin) nothing can be more idle or ridiculous. Glorious titles without ground are mere vanities; like the Apothecary's galley-pots, quorum tituli remedia habent pyxides venenum, 
Lactant.  which having without the name of some excellent preservative, within are either empty, or hold some deadly aconite.  
If Nomen be not rei notamen (as Saint Austin derives the word; 
Aug. de Gen. ad litter cap. 6. ) If we be called the children of God, and be not so, what have we gained thereby? surely we do only embrace a shadow.  
All this is true, and yet behold here is not the least glimpse or spark of comfort taken from the Peacemakers. For this phrase, they shall be called, noteth here, not a mere and bare denomination, but a demonstration of a true denomination; the words import more then simply to be: they import thus much, that is, the Peacemakers shall not only be the children of God, to their exceeding comfort: but they shall also be published so to be, to their endless honour.  
Now for the manifestation hereof, I will parallel these words with other passages of Scripture where the same Phrase is thus used. And I will only pitch upon one chapter, that is, the first of Luke. In the 76. verse it is said of john Baptist, that he should be called the Prophet of the most high. And was he not so? Yes even by the attestation of our Saviour Christ he was a Prophet, 
Mat. 11.9.  & more than a Prophet. Again the Virgin Mary in the 48. verse saith, From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. And that this is not a bare title conferred upon her, the woman's acclamation can witness in the eleventh of Luke: 
Luke 11.27.  Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the Paps which thou hast sucked. Yea she shall be honoured as the most blessed amongst women to the end of the world. Again in the 35. verse the Angel Gabriel saith, that Christ shall be called the Son of God. And that Christ was so, 
Mat. 16.16.  Peter confessed worthily in the time of his life; the Centurion witnessed notably at the time of his death: 
Mat. 26.54.  And Saint Paul saith, 
Rom. 1.4.  that by his resurrection he was mightily declared to be the Son of God. Thus as john Baptist was called a Prophet, the Virgin Mary was called blessed, and Christ was called the Son of God, that is, they not only were so, but were acknowledged and published so to be: So shall the Peacemakers be called the children of God. For he that will not suffer a hair to fall from the head of his servants without his divine providence, will not suffer their graces & endowments to vanish and perish in silence. Albeit they may be compassed about for a time with the clouds of obscurity, yet shall their worth break forth like the light, 
Psal. 37.6.  and be published to the world with a cloud of witnesses. 
Heb. 12.1.  Thus did the divine providence dispose most fitly of our Saviors' passion; both for the Time, Place, and manner of his Death. For the Time and Place, 
The Passover.  It was at the great festivity held at Jerusalem, which yielded a confluence of many nations to that City, which was then the only Metropolis of Religion thorough the world: And for the manner of it likewise: For he was lifted up, 
joh. 3.14.  like the brazen Serpent, upon a high cross upon a conspicuous Mountain, 
In Praefatione ad librum de septem verbis.  & that with all his parts stretched out severally, as Bellarmine hath lately & largely showed. The inscription also was in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, that by the Cross, the Time, the Place, the Nations and Languages, the happy news of our redemption, by the death and passion of jesus Christ, might be dispersed, as it were by many rivers, throughout the world. Our Saviour's malicious adversaries sought to prevent his resurrection; 
Mat. 27.63.66.  by rolling a stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre, by setting a watch over the stone, and a seal over the watch; And when they found their endeavours therein to be frustrate, they sought by suborning and hiring the soldiers, to suppress the notice thereof. But their subordinat free concealment, became an especial means of publication of his glorious triumph over death. 
Mat. 28.15.   
jobs admirable patience, in his unparelled afflictions, could not be confined to his house, though he was left alone and desolate, but shall be published to all posterities; and the fame thereof shall outlast the vast Pyramids of Egypt: the names of their builders are long since buried in oblivion (a just guerdon for such a work of vanity) but there shall always be some, 
Plin. lib. 26  that shall to his honour, remember the patience of job. 
jam. 5.11.  Moses might entreat the Lord secretly, in that passionate and compassionate speech, aut dimitte hanc noxam, 
Exod 32.32.  Lord either pardon this sin, or else blot me out of the book that thou hast written. But his zeal to God's glory, & love to his people shall be preached on the house top, and be carried upon the wings of fame from one generation to another. As our Saviour said of the woman that poured the costly ointment upon his head. Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, 
Mat. 26.13.  this also which she hath done, shall be spoken of, for a memorial of her. As the odour of the ointment filled the house; 
joh. 12.3. Eccles. 7.3.  so shall the odour of her fame, like a good ointment, fill the house of the world, even till the world's end.  

Psal. 112.6.  Lo thus, in memoria aeterna erit iustus, the Peacemakers shall be had in everlasting remembrance, and be called the children of God. Neither shall they need to be the Trumpeters of their own merits and actions, it shall be done abundantly by others.  
The Sons of Peace shall call them so, 
Mat. 11.19.  For Wisdom shall be justified of her children. Yea, which is strange, not only the Sons of Peace, but even the Sons of perdition shall call them so. Dear beloved (saith Saint john) Now are we the Sons of God, 
1 joh. 3.1.2  though the world know us not: Intimating, that there will be a time, when this faex mundi, the wicked of the world shall be forced to acknowledge the blessed condition of God's children. When they shall take up that doleful complaint: This is the man whom we sometimes had in derision; 
Sap 5.4.  and accounted his life madness, and his death without honour: but now is he numbered amongst the children of God, and his Lot amongst the Saints. And thus we see in the history of the Evangelists, that our Saviour's innocency, piety, charity was acknowledged & published by Heaven and Earth, God and Men, Strangers and Acquaintance, Friends and Foes, Angels and Devils, and if they should have held their peace, the stones in the street would have proclaimed it. Lastly, 
Luk. 19.40.  Christ jesus the Prince of Peace shall call them so. When he conversed with men in the days of his infirmity, he was not ashamed to call them brethren: Nor yet in his glorified estate, 
Heb. 2.11.  after his resurrection; when he sent that comfortable message by the devout woman to his Disciples. 
joh. 20.17.  Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father & your Father, to my God and your God; Words as full of comfort, as the Ocean of waters. My brethren, a loving appellation; my Father and your Father, a blessed union in a happy correlation; I ascend, and to what end, 
joh. 14.2.  but to prepare them Mansions in the heavenly habitation? But behold, the consummation of all consolation shall be at the end of the world, when the Son of God, embracing the sons of Peace in the arms of his mercy, shall say in the presence and audience of men and Angels, Come ye blessed of my father, 
Mat. 25.34.  possess the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world.  
By this time, I hope you see that the Peacemakers are blessed; For all these streams of comfort, that I have discovered, do fall into the Ocean of this blessedness, and this blessedness is the crown of the Peacemaker. I will contract all my building into a little model, and so conclude. The Peacemakers (you see) are blessed, and they are blessed in this great advancement, They are the children of God; adopted, not forth of any defect, but forth of his bounty and mercy they are adopted by jesus Christ, they are adopted from a base and wretched condition, they are adopted to a glorious inheritance in heaven. These sons of Peace are singled out in a most especial manner. They are like the Sun in the firmament the eye in the Head, and the heart in the Body, the noblest and worthiest of all the children of God, And this their worth shall be published to the world. It shall be published by the sons of Peace, by the sons of perdition, by the Son of God himself. Thus, as the Laurel was to the Roman Emperors both Munimentum & Ornamentum, a Defence against danger, and an Ornament of honour: So shall this Oliua Pacis be to the children of God. Quanta est huius pacis retributio (saith S. Austin, 
August. de ●emp Ser. 169. ) haereditatem possidere cum Christo, substantiam patris habere cum filio, caelesti regno participare cum Domino. And what can your hearts desire more than this? To be the children of God, and the best affected of his children, heirs of Grace and Glory, coheirs annexed with jesus Christ, partakers of that unspeakable happiness which shall be honourably published on earth, & enjoyed eternally in the heavens? Therefore to conclude, let me say to you with Chrysostom, 
Chrys. in Psal. 34.  Quaerite Pacem, ut inveniatis premium, Seek Peace & follow after it, that you may have the reward of Peacemakers; 
Psal. 34. Chrys. ibid.  Pulsate ianuam Pacis, knock at the gate of Peace, till it be opened to you. So shall the same be to you a door and passage into Heaven; which mercy the God of Peace and Mercy grant us, for his Son our Saviour Christ's sake, to whom with the holy-Ghost, three persons and one immortal God, be ascribed all Honour, and Glory, Might, Majesty, and Dominion, now and for ever more Amen.   
FINIS.   

THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST PLAINLY described, By 

The Authority of Scriptures.  
The Testimony of Fathers.  
The consent of Schoolmen.   In a Sermon Preached at PAUL'S Cross, by JOHN DENISON Doctor of Divinity, and one of his Majesty's chaplains.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the greene-Dragon in Paul's Churchyard. 1620.   

TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, JOHN KING, Lord Bishop of LONDON.  
Right Reverend and Honourable:  
THESE two Sermons being thought a second time worthy of the Press, I make bold to present to your Lordship. They were both Preached in your charges; the one in that eminent place where your Lordship hath Episcopal jurisdiction; 
At Paul's cross  the other in that famous University, 
At Oxford.  where then you were a worthy Governor. The one hath passed hitherto under your patronage; and the other, being an Orphan, desires it. It obtained good acceptance with that Noble Lord, 
The Lord Elsmere, Lord Chancellor of England.  who loved your Lordship dear, and to whom myself was exceedingly bound. In regard whereof, I hope it shall find the more favourable entertainment at your Lordship's hands. The God of heaven, who hath honoured you with many gracious endowments, and made you an excellent ornament of our Church, continue his favours, and enlarge his blessings to you, for the Churches good, and your own eternal comfort.  
Your Lordships humbly devoted, JOHN DENISON.   

To the Reader.  
IT fareth with me (Christian Reader) as with those Physicians, who having employed their study for the health of their Patients, do afterwards divulge their experiments for the good of others. For having, at the request of certain friends prepared these ingrediences, and found them comfortable to their tender souls, I have been moved to publish the same, both for the further comfort of them, and benefit of others. And the rather have I been hereunto induced, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hippoc Aphor.  because (to use the Physician's words) here is a dangerous experiment, and difficult judgement, the disease being the most dangerous and deadly of all diseases incident to any mortal creature, and the physic for cure, description, or prevention very rare to be had in our vulgar tongue; None to my knowledge having of purpose handled it, though I have known some distressed souls, have greatly needed it, and many very Christianly affected have much desired it. And so commending these my Meditations to thy courteous acceptance, and myself to thy Christian prayers, I commend thee to the grace of God in Christ jesus.  
Thine in the Lord, I. D.   

A SERMON: Wherein the Sin against the Holy-GHOST is plainly described.  HEB. 10.26.27. 
For if we sinne willingly after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgement, and violent fire which shall devour the adversaries.  
IT is the part of every Christian at his entrance into the profession of Christianity, (Right Honourable, right Worshipful, and well-beloved in Christ jesus) to consider our Saviour's Caveat to the Disciples, He that endureth to the end shall be 
a Mat. 10.22.  saved. To what purpose is it that the Seafaring man sails prosperously, arrives safely, and obtains a rich prize, if he sink or suffer shipwreck in his return? This life is a seafaring life; to what purpose is it that a Christian be fairly embarked for heaven, if afterward he suffer shipwreck of his holy Faith? What availeth it the Warrior to march hotly with jehu, fight manfully with jonathan, if he turn his back with Ephraim before the end of the battle? This life is a warfare, what can it avail us to encounter Satan, if we suffer him to foil and conquer us? For he only that fights the good fight, finisheth his course, and keeps the faith, can expect the crown of 
b 2 Tim. 4.7.  righteousness.  
This is the thing whereof Saint Paul doth in this place admonish the Hebrews, namely, that they forsake not the fellowship they have among 
c Verse 25.  themselves. Wherein, that he may the better prevail, he inferreth these words of my Text as a pithy reason, and powerful ingredience, to make the medicine of his admonition to work the more effectually. If the Soldier shall fly forth of the field, revolt from his Captain, forsake his colours, run from his company, and turn to the enemy, he disgraceth his military profession, disableth himself for the trophies of honour, and meriteth condign punishment. Behold, we are the Lords Soldiers, the Church is our field, Christ jesus our Captain, the word and Sacraments our colours, the communion of Saints our company; he that shall fly forth of this field, revolt from this Captain, forsake these colours, run from this company, and be found fight under Satan's conduct, dishonoureth his Christian profession, depriveth himself of the crown of glory, and incurreth the danger of God's heavy judgement. For if we sinne willingly, after we have received the knowledge of the truth. That is, if we have given our names to Christ, served in his camp, taken pay in his wars, and yet play the carnal Apostates with 
d 2 Tim. 4 9  Demas, the heretical with 
e 2 Tim. 2.17.  Hymeneus and Philetus, the scornful with 
f Socrat. & Theodoret.  julian the Emperor, the spiteful with 
g 2 Tim. 4.14.  Alexander the Coppersmith, there remains small hope of receiving comfort by Christ's eternal sacrifice, but rather extreme terror in the expectation of his dreadful sentence; small probability of being cleansed in his precious blood, but rather a sore possibility of being devoured by a violent fire: Peccata sunt animae vulnera, sins are the soul's wounds, according to the sacred Scriptures, and the ancient Father's phrase of speech. And as the wounds of the body do differ, some being dangerous, some more mortal, some altogether incurable; so fares it with the wounds of the soul, some are cured more easily, as the Maid was raised from death by Christ, Mark. 9 Some with less facility, like the Widow's Son, Luk. 7. Some yet with greater difficulty, like Lazarus, john 11. The cure will cost many a groan, and many a sigh: some are altogether uncurable, the sin cleaving to the sinner, like the Leprosy of Gehazi for 
h 2 Kin. 5.27.  ever. Lo such a wound and such a sin we have in hand at this present, even the sin against the holy Ghost. For the subject of this Scripture is a deadly wound, even a wound, and death; a wound going before, and death following after it.  
The wound is expressed in these words, For if we sinne willingly, after we have received the knowledge of the truth.  
The death and danger in these words, There remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judgement, and a violent fire which shall devour the adversaries.  
Behold, here is the most heinous sin of all sins, and the most grievous judgement of all judgements, here is a fearful transgression, and a doleful affliction, in the one behold the tower of Babel, in the other the valley of Benhinnom, in the one the extremest degree of iniquity, in the other the uttermost measure of misery; in the one a sinners execrable condition in this life, in the other his lamentable confusion in the life to come. But now I purpose God willing only to speak of the wound; In the handling whereof, I intent to take these courses.  

1. I will open it.  
2. I will search it.  
3. I will bind it up again by Application.   
In the opening of the wound, I find it in the general to be an Apostasy from the Gospel. For it is a forsaking the communion we have among ourselves. So saith the Apostle, ver. 25. And in the particular view thereof, I note four bad humours which feed it; for mali humores sunt pravi mores, as Bernard 
h Bern. super Cant. ser. 36.  saith.  


Vers. 26  
The first is an advised sinfulness, After we have received the knowledge of the truth.  
The second, a resolute wilfulness, If we sinne willingly.   

Vers. 29  
The third is obstinate malice, For here is an adversary that despites the spirit of grace.  
The fourth is a general corruption of Religion, For it is a treading underfoot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the Testament as an unholy thing: and both these points are expressed in the 29. Verse.    
So that in a word I find, and consequently do define this sin to be A 

Witting  
Willing  
Malicious  
Totall   Apostasy.  
First, for the matter of this sin.  
It is an Apostasy, either from the public profession, or private acknowledgement of the Gospel.  
For the manner of it.  
It must be witting, and not of ignorance.  
It must be willing, and not of co-action.  
It must be malicious, and not of infirmity.  
It will be total, and not some particular impiety.  
In the handling of which points, let me say to you in 
i Chris. var. loc. in Mat. hom. 9  Chrysostom's words, Excutite pigritiam, non est res levis quam audituri estis, rouse up your spirits and raise up your attention, the matter you are to hear is of no small moment.  

The first part: The opening of the WOUND.  

The first bad Humour.  
WHen almighty God had laid the foundation of the world, his first work was fiat lux, let there be light, and this light being dispersed and confused, he afterwards placed in the Globe of the Sun, which he made vehiculum lucis: So in the creation of man, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a model of that greater world, he placed the light of understanding in the firmament of his Soul, to guide him in the way of holiness, and to bring him to the place of eternal happiness. But Satan, whose kingdom is the kingdom of darkness, in envy towards man, and malice to God, obscured that light with the clouds of error, that so he might lead wretched sinners blindfold to hell, like the Syrians into the midst of 
k 2. Reg. 6.20.  Samaria. Yet God in mercy, beholding this misery into which man was cast, gathering together (as it were) the scattered beams of knowledge, doth by the spirit of illumination unite them in the Globe of the understanding, and where he affords this favour, the abuse thereof is very dangerous. This is that knowledge of the truth, which is here spoken of, for it is cognitio accepta, non acquisita, knowledge received from the illuminating spirit of God, not acquired or obtained by the light or industry of nature. They who offend in this kind, must be such as Saint Paul speaks of, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the ˡ Lord. So that Turks and infidels, who never yet received the knowledge of the truth, cannot commit this sin. Neither is this to be taken for some superficial conceit, swimming in the brain only; but such a knowledge, as taking some place in the heart, hath affected the same with a certain comfort and delight therein, and bringeth with it a glimpse of that glory, which is revealed in that truth, and shall be received in the kingdom of heaven. And therefore the Apostle attributes to those who commit this sin, not only that they be lightened, but that they have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the holy-Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to 
m Heb. 6.4.  come. Now when a man shall find the taste of God's word sweeter than the honey, and the 
n Psal. 19.10.  honeycomb, as it was to David, and shall afterward distaste and happily detest it, as the Israelites did 
o Numb. 11.6.  Manna: When he shall rejoice in the meditation of eternal life, and yet reject the consolation thereof, like the young man, who ran to our blessed Saviour, kneeled to him, and cried out, good master, what shall I do that I may possess eternal life? yet went away like a 
p Mark. 10.17.  flincher: When he shall have relished, and even been ravished with the comfortable taste of the powers of the world to come, like Balaam, who passionately wished, O let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like 
q Num. 23.10.  his. Yet shall, like a graceless man abandon the means, and banish the care and cogitation thereof, what probability, nay what possibility is there that he should be renewed by repentance? Albeit affected ignorance is very liable to the curse of God, according to our Saviour's words, Woe be to thee Corazin, woe be to thee 
r Mat. 11.21.  Bethsaida: yet inflicted ignorance obtains his connivance, as it is Act. 17. 
s Acts 17.30.  The time of this ignorance God regarded not. This circumstance doth much extenuate a sin, when a man may say for himself, as the Lord said of Niniveh, there are six score thousand persons that cannot discern betwixt their right hand and 
t jon. 4.11.  their left. And when a man can plead for himself with Abimelech, Lord wilt thou slay even the righteous 
u Gen. 20.4.  Nation? as if he should say, had we known her to be his wife, we would never have offered violence to him, nor villainy to her. And contrarily, it doth much aggravate the sin, when one can admire, acknowledge and commend the graces of God in others, yet be graceless himself. When he is like the Athenians, who knew what was good but would not do 
x Athenienses scire quae, etc. Tul. de senect.  it, and like the Scribes and Pharisees who had the key of heaven, yet would not enter therein. For as Saint james saith 
y jam. 4.17. , to him that knoweth to do well, and doth it not, to him it is sin, that is, sin with a witness, it is a sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a more eminent & extraordinary manner than others. As Bernard saith, 
z Bern. in Cant. Serm. 36.  Ac si diceret sumenti cibum at non digerenti perniciosum est. As meat that is eaten and not digested, so is knowledge received and not practised; as the one breeds diseases in the body, so the other brings destruction to the soul.  
It was Adam's great perfection that made his ruin so lamentable; and the transcendent excellency of the Angels, which made their sin so damnable, and their fall so unrecoverable. And no marvel, for it is absolute justice, 
a Luke 12.47.  that the servant which knows his Master's will and doth it not, should be beaten with many stripes. Saint Paul 
b Rom. 9 & 10  speaks of the errors of the jews his Countrymen with great compassion, because they had the zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. But our Saviour checks the wilful blindness of the Pharisees, with as great indignation, telling them that if they were blind they should have no 
c joh. 9.39.41.  sin (meaning not so heinous sin) but because they said they did see, therefore their sin remained, that is, it stuck close by them. So that, as Saloman saith, 
d Eccles. 1.18.  He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. So may I say, he that increaseth knowledge, and doth not use it, increaseth danger. Men had need to consider what end they propound to their knowledge. Some saith Bernard get knowledge, 
Bern. sup. Cant. Ser. 36. Et turpis quaestus est.  ut vendant, that they may make merchandise of it; and that is filthy gain. Some, ut aedificent, that they may edify others, and that is charity; 
Et charitas est.  Some, ut aedificentur, that themselves may be builded up in grace, 
Et prudentia est.  and that is wisdom. And indeed it is great wisdom for a man to reap to himself the fruit of his own knowledge; and as great folly when he can teach another and not teach himself. Rom. 2.21. Therefore salomon's counsel is good in this case, 
e Pro. 5.15.  Drink thy water of thy Cistern. Hast thou a fountain of knowledge to refresh others with the streams thereof, yet thyself hast a thirsty soul, and a barren life? What an absurdity is this before men, and danger in the sight of God? O water, and refresh thine own soul, make use of the knowledge of the truth, which thou hast received, least after many gracious showers of instruction, thy soul remaining bad and barren, thou be exposed to the curse of God 
f Heb. 6.8. : It had been better for some, not to have known the way of righteousness (as Saint Peter saith) then, 
g 2 Pet. 2.21.  after they had known it, to turn from the holy Commandments given unto them. Had they not known, then had their Audit been more easy. For behold, where the Lord delivers forth large talents of knowledge, there he expects great reckonings of obedience to be brought in, not looking for the like at their hands, towards whom he hath not been such a bountiful Creditor. This caused Peter when he taxed the people in the Temple, for betraying and denying Christ in the presence of Pilate 
h Acts 3.17. , not to leave them comfortless in so heinous a crime, but to give them hope that they should obtain remission, and have their sins put away at the time of the refreshing, because they did it through ignorance. This also was a staff of comfort to Saint Paul, whose cruelty towards the Saints and servants of God was most extreme. For he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an oppressor, yea those outrages were prosecuted with violent fury and madness, as himself ingenuously confesseth 
i Act 26.10.11. . Yet these his merciless persecuting sins found mercy at God's hands, upon his serious repentance, as he comfortably witnesseth 
k 1. Tim. 1.13. . In a word, this was the ground of our Saviour's prayer at the time of his passion: 
l Luke 23.34.  Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. As though he should say: If they knew indeed that I am the Son of God, and would offer me this indignity; the Messiah and Saviour of the world, and yet would show me this cruelty; the Lord of glory, and yet would crucify me, I would never vouchsafe to open my mouth for them: but now, O Father, for as much as these things have not been revealed to the eye of their understanding, nor made evident to the view of their conscience, vouchsafe them pardon, and lay not this sin to their charge.   

The second bad Humour.  
THE second bad Humour that feeds this mortal wound, is willingness; If we sinne willingly. If the Pilot be not skilful or careful, those that go by Sea must needs sail dangerously; but if they also carry full sail in the midst of a tempest, they cannot choose but be overset. Even so it fareth with us, while we float in the sea of this present world; If our understanding which is our Pilot, do fail us, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, our case is dangerous: but if withal we give our wills full sail, every blast of Satan's temptations will be ready to sink us, and this is the Apostles word here in this place. If we sinne willingly, which word implieth somewhat more than a simple and single will, and importeth rather a resolute wilfulness. So that this is not a mixed action, wherein the sinner is partly willing, partly unwilling, but an absolute resigning of that faculty for the performance of wicked designs. As when a man will run on desperately, and sin even because he will sinne, small or no occasion moving him thereunto: For the less the occasion and temptation is, the greater is the transgression. This was a further circumstance which made Adam's sin so 
m Gen. 3.2.  heinous, that having free access to all the other trees in Paradise; he must needs taste of the forbidden fruit. As it was vile in 
n 1 King. 21.4.  Ahab, that having many goodly possessions of his own, he must needs be sick for Naboths vineyard; and it doth much aggravate the offence, when a rich man shall deal deceitefully in word, in weight and measure. Thus when a man is rather transported by his own rebellious will, then enforced by any urgent necessity, is rather carried forward by a prompt and peremptory inclination, then by any violent and coactive temptation, this is to sin willingly. When Satan no sooner tempts, but the sinner as readily yields, as the etymon of the word imports, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indulgeo. When it is not by constraint, but of a ready mind, as Saint Peter's opposition 
o 1 Pet. 5.2.  doth manifest, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So is the Apostles speech of sinning willingly here to be understood. Do what we can, whilst we carry about this mass of corruption, sin will have her residence in us, but Saint Paul warns, that we suffer it not to reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lusts 
p Rom. 6.12.  thereof. If it violently overrule us, we must not willingly let it rule over us: If it compel like a tyrant, we must not let it command as a King. We must sigh under the bondage, and groan under the burden of it, like the Israelites under 
q Exod. 2.23.  Pharaoh. We must not say as those people professed to 
r Ios. 1.16.  josuah, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whether thou sendest us we will go: for if we do, it will command that which is dangerous and damnable, and will send us to hell for our hire. The wages of sin is 
s Rom. 6.23.  death: we must all acknowledge with Saint john, 1. Epist. 1. 
t 1. john 1.8.  If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves; yet we must take heed, we be not such as he speaks of in his third Chapter, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
u 1. john 3.4.  which settle and sell themselves to work wickedness: For if such a one cannot be renewed by repentance, Non est excusatio infirmitatis, sed culpa 
x Anselm in Heb. 6.  voluntatis; he can plead no excuse of infirmity, but must needs lay all the blame upon the wills iniquity. There are some (as Solomon notes) 
y Prou. 2.14. sic Tremel.  Which do even rejoice in doing evil, and delight in perverse courses. Yea, they cannot sleep, except they have done 
z Prou. 4.16.  evil, but this rejoicing is odious, and this delight exceeding dangerous. Lord, how opposite are these men in their affections to our Saviour Christ? 
a john 4.34.  It was his meat and drink to do the will of God; but it is their meat and drink, yea it lulls them a sleep, to do the works of the devil. What a malapert speech is that of saul's Courtiers, 
b Psal. 12.4.  Our tongues are our own and we will talk? they will because they will, Stat pro ratione voluntas. Yea they are ready to say with 
c Apud Sueton, julius Caesar.  Caesar, iacta est alea, fall back fall edge they are resolved to persist in their sins. What a desperate resolution is that of wilful wretches in the sixth of 
d jere. 6.16.  jeremy? Who being thus lovingly exhorted and graciously promised, Walk in the good way, and you shall find rest to your souls, do answer as wickedly as peremptorily, we will not walk therein. Well may it be said of these men, that they sin willingly, which so rashly forsake the way of salvation, and so readily step into the path of condemnation. Such resolute sinners were the jews, whose stony hearts and flinty souls, neither Christ's tears could 
e Luke 19.40.  mollify, nor his threatenings terrify, therefore is their habitation become desolate for ever. Such resolute and dissolute sinners were the Sodomites, who could not be restrained by Lots submiss 
f Gen. 19.7.8.11.  petition, his more than lawful motion, nor the Lords extraordinary affliction; but still persisted obstinately, till even extreme weariness enforced them to leave their wickedness. And what then could they else expect, but that fire and brimstone from heaven should be their portions. Hoc Deum maxime irritat, This saith 
g Chrysost. in Psal. 108.  chrysostom, dorh mightily provoke God, when men do sin with such a pre-meditation and settled resolution. So saith David in the eighteenth Psalm. 
h Psal. 18.26.  With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, but with the froward thou wilt wrestle; for so the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is well translated by Tremelius. Thus God will wrestle with the wicked, not in mercy, as he did with jacob 
i Gen. 32. , when he supported him, but in judgement, as jacob did with Esau when he supplanted him. If the sinner will be wilful, God will be as wilful, if froward God will be as froward. If he will wrestle with God in disobedience, God will trip up his heels in vengeance, and cast him down with the rebellious spirits into the lowest hell. As in the time of the Law there was no Sanctuary for wilful murderers: So was there never any Sanctuary of mercy for wilful sinners. If a subject shall be carried violently in a rebellion, much compassion is to be showed, but he that runs voluntarily with the disloyal, deserves to be severely punished: so when a poor sinner can say with the Apostle, I 
k Rom. 7.23.  would not willingly do that evil I do; It is the law of my members, that rebels against the law of my mind, and leads me captive to the law of sin, he may look with comfort towards the mercy seat. For 
l Hieron in Mat. 16.  peccata non nocent si non placent, sin shall not hurt us, if it do displease us. But when it may be said to him, as it is in the fiftieth Psalm, Simulac vides furem: As soon as thou seest a thief thou runnest with him: Yea, when he shall commit all uncleanness with greediness 
m Ephes. 4.14. , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even covetously; when his heart shall be as eagerly set upon his wickedness, as the covetous man's on his wealth, what can he hope for, but that the gate of mercy should be shut against him? Therefore is the Lord so resolute 
n Deut. 22.19. , that if a man will go confidently and wilfully on in his sins, blessing himself, and promising peace to his soul, he will not be merciful to him. Yea he hath ratified it with an asseveration, 
o Isa. 22.19.  Surely the iniquity of such a sinner shall never be pardoned or purged. Yea if a bare speech or asseveration will not serve, when Elies' sons will wilfully persist in their sins, and will not be reclaimed, either for their own credit, their father's comfort, or the Lord's glory; he takes his oath, 
p 1 Sam. 3.14.  that the wickedness of Elies' house shall not be purged with sacrifice or offering for ever.   

The third bad humour.  
THE third bad humour which feeds this Apostasy, is bitter and violent, namely Malice, a consequent of the former. For when men do once grow wilful, they easily become malicious, and wax even rebelliously bend against the truth. So as was julian the Emperor, whom Hierome 
q Hier. Catalogue. script. Eccles.  therefore most justly styleth for his malice, Canem rabidum, even a mad Dog. So as were the jews, whom our Saviour taxing for this sin, 
r Mat. 12.37.  calls, a brood of Vipers: because they were full of venom and malice. Such a sinner the Apostle doth here call an adversary, as being one that directly opposeth himself against the rules of piety, and afterwards in more fearful words he brandeth him thus, which doth despite the spirit of grace. And in the sixth to the Hebrews, 
s Heb. 6.6.  he calleth him a crucifier of Christ, and a mocker of him. When a man shall become a professed adversary to him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell 
t Mat. 10.28. : when he shall despite the spirit of grace, which is the spirit of comfort, helpeth our infirmities, and maketh request for us with groans and sighs which cannot be 
u Rom. 8 26.  expressed. When he shall make but a mock of Christ, to whom the blessed Angels do homage 
x Heb. 1.6. , oh how lamentable is the estate of such a one? When the patiented loathes his food, quarrels with his Physician, is angry with his friends, chafes with himself, you will say he is in ill case; and such is the condition of a froward and malicious sinner: When the vis irascibilis. Which should be as a Dog at the door of the soul, to keep away the Thief, shall wax mad, and bite the Master or his friends, even snarl at God, at his servants, and his sacred truth, what safety or comfort can that soul have? When Christians which should be as Lambs, and new borne-Babes, in receiving 
y 1. Pet. 2.1.2. jam. 1.12.  with meekness the sincere milk of the word, and the comfortable food of the blessed Sacrament, shall turn dogs and swine, tread underfoot those precious pearls, and be ready even to rend their 
z Mat. 7.6.  Pastors, they must needs kindle God's wrath, and accelerate his judgements. This was the sin of Alexander the Coppersmith, of whom Saint Paul 
a 2 Tim. 4.15.  saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he vehemently withstood our Preaching. He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not us but our words, our preaching; for that had not been so heinous: the one is but a personal persecution, and so had been a sin against charity; the other a doctrinal, and consequently was a direct offence against piety. And surely, it is a fearful thing when a man sets himself against heaven. 
b 1 Sam. 2.25.  If one man sin against another (saith Elie) the judge shall judge it, but if a man sin against the Lord, who will plead for him? It goes hard with a malefactor, when no man will, can, or dare be his advocate: but it is Gods just judgement upon a malicious sinner: and therefore it was his ordinance, 
c Num. 15.30.  that he which sinned presumptuously (even erecting with an high hand the flag of defiance against God, as the metaphor imports) & blasphemed the Lord, the same person should be cut off from among his people: that the same cutting off, might be a praeludium to his fearful and final separation from the society of the blessed Angels, the spirits of just and holy men, and from jesus Christ the mediator of the new 
d Heb. 12.22.  Testament. How fearful was the obstinacy of Stephen's enemies, who being not able to resist the spirit by which he spoke, charged him with blasphemy 
e Act. 6.10.11. ? And albeit the Lord did grace his innocent conscience with an Angelical countenance; yet they so persisted in their malice, that they gave him just cause to tax them thus, You stiffnecked and of uncircumcised hearts and ears, you have always resisted the holy Ghost. Such obstinate sins must needs be punished, when as others committed of frailty may easily be pardoned. Should I not spare Nineveh, saith the Lord 
f jon. 4.11.  (which doth trespass of infirmity.) But how should I spare juda which doth transgress 
g jer. 5.7.  rebelliously. Here God hath something to say for Nineveh, but rebellious juda stands arraigned of high treason, and God having nothing to say for her, nor she for herself, why the sentence of death should not pass against her, must needs be condemned, except God's justice shall be violated, which must inviolably be maintained, though all the rebellious Men and Angels in the world be damned. It is dangerous to walk in the counsel of the , dreadful to stand in the way of sinners, but 
h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Psal. 1.1.  happy and thrice happy is he that doth not sit in the seat of the scornful. Who would think that any could be so forsaken of God, and bereft of grace, that he should malice and scorn the eternal Majesty? yet experience hath found out such vile wretches. For such a one was that blasphemous Pope julius, who being forbidden by his Physician to eat Pork, because of his gout, said in a great chafe (horresco referens, I tremble to utter his words.) 
i Les vies de Papes de Rome. jules. 3.  Give me my Porkes flesh, all dispetto di Dio, even in despite of God.  
What horrible blasphemies did that execrable Emperor julian the Apostata, as also his lewd companion Libanius the Sophister belch forth against Christ? who at their going forth to the Persian war, asked in 
k Histor. Trip. lib. 6. cap. 43.  scoffing manner, What the Carpenter's Son (meaning Christ) was doing? To whom it was well answered by a good Christian, 
l Theodoret. hist. l. 3 c▪ 18.  Loculum fabricatur, he is making a coffin for julian; which prophetical speech was verified by the event, for indeed julian was strangely wounded and slain in that war. Now when a man is grown to this height of impiety, that he dares thus with a high hand sin against the Almighty, the Lord stops the suits of those who would pray for him, not admitting any petition to be put up in the Court of mercy: according to those words of Saint john, There is a sin unto death, I say not thou shouldest pray for 
m 1 joh. 5.16.  it. And how oft doth the Lord albeit he be the father of mercies, and the God of all consolation 
n 2 Cor. 1.3. , how oft I say doth he send forth his express prohibition to jeremy, 
o jer. 7. & 11. & 15. chap.  Thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayers for them? Yea he is wont in such cases, to stir up the spirits of his servants to pray against such notorious sinners: and to pour forth dreadful execrations upon them. And to that end hath he armed the Church with that fearful censure Anathemamaranatha, If any man love not the Lord jesus, let him be accursed till the coming of 
p 1 Cor. 16.12.  Christ.  
Thus doth David 
q Psal. 59.5.  desire the Lord not to be merciful to them that transgress maliciously. Yea how oft doth he pursue the enemies of God, most passionate and bitter imprecations? Thus did Peter against Simon Magus, as histories report: 
r Theodor. hist. l. 3. ca 9 17. 19  Thus did the primitive Church pray against julian the Apostata, and never left assaulting him with her weapons (which are prayers and tears) till he had received his final and fearful stroke of destruction; and then she sang Hallelujaes for his 
s Hieron. super Habac. l. 2.  overthrow. God's dearest children may commit very heinous sins, yet they do it of infirmity, and not maliciously. The sin of Peter was very fearful, yea could any almost be more heinous? when as he a chief Apostle, at the word of a silly Maid, against his constant protestation, three several times within the space of a few hours, did not only deny, and forsake, but even forswear his Master and Saviour: yea and that with dreadful 
t Mat. 26.74. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  execrations upon himself, If he knew the man? But alas, all this proceeded from infirmity; the present danger & fear of death extorted those oaths; and drew those execrations from him. And therefore, when he went forth and wept bitterly, diluit culpam lachrymis, when he wept, he wiped away his heinous sins with bitter tears, and the Lords compassions failed him not.   

The fourth bad humour.  

Reuel. 8.11.  SAint john in the eight Chapter of the Revelation speaks of a great Star, called Wormwood, which falling into the waters and fountains made them bitter, so that many died thereof. Behold, such is the humour of malice; For whereas other sins do but muddy the streams, this impoisons the very fountain of our holy profession, and brings immortal death without remedy. And this is the fourth degree of this dreadful Apostasy, which for the better handling, I call a particular humour, when it is indeed like the corruptions of all the humours in the body. For it is not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not some smaller distemper, but a general evil disposition and habit of Religion, not a binding of Sampsons' hands, but a shaving of his locks; not like the setting of the Sun in a cloud, but a total Eclipse, yea such a going down as never admits any rising again. For it is a total and final Apostasy which doth usually accompany the malicious resisting of the known truth. And therefore Athanasius 
v Athanas. ad Serapion.  joins that malice and Apostasy together in the definition of this blasphemy against the holy Ghost, calling it a malicious denying of the faith which a man hath professed, as 
x Sueton. jul. Caes. cap. 1.  Sylla said in Suetonius: Vno Caesari multos Marios in esse, there were many Marijes in one Caesar: So I may say there are many iniquities in this one sin: which indeed becomes a congeries of all abominations. For the curse of God seizeth upon such a malicious sinner as hath been mentioned, to an utter privation of grace, like David's heavy imprecation upon mount Gilboe 
y 2 Sam. 1.21.  You mountains of Gilboe upon you be neither dew nor rain for ever. And like our Saviour's curse upon the fig tree, never man eat fruit of thee while the world standeth. Again, Satan casts his violent and envenomed temptations, which the Apostle, Ephes. 6. calleth fiery darts; and those where they strike they stick fah, and work upon the Soul, like the arrows on jobs body, 
z job 6.4.  The venom whereof dried up his spirits. And then as in the general deluge, when the waters increased to a certain height, all flesh 
a Gen. 7.21.  perished; so in this great overflowing of sin, all sparks of grace are utterly extinguished.  
This is employed here when the Apostle speaks of an opposition against the causes of our salvation, namely, The Son of God, the blood of the Testament, and the spirit of grace. And this elsewhere 
b 1 Tim. 1.19.  he calleth A shipwreck of faith, and an Apostasy from the faith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
c 1 Tim. 4.1.2.  1 Tim. 4. And adds the reason, Having their consciences burnt with an hot Iron. For when the conscience is cauterised, there followeth an utter benumbing of the sanctified faculties, so that there is left no spiritual sense of grace. As we say of griefs, so it is in sins, Curae leues loquuntur, ingentes stupent, the smaller sins at first are irksome, and terrify, but being grown many and great, they stupefy. So that he which was wont to cry out with Saint Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death, Rom. 7. can make a covenant with death the grave and hell, Esay 28. He who was pressed down with the ponderous weight of his sins, which were as a heavy burden too heavy for him to bear, Psal. 38. can at last go as roundly away with them as ever Samson went with the Gates of Azzah. The conscience at first will diligently observe and censure the sinner, but the same being neglected, he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Even condemned of 
d Tit. 3.11.  himself, and yet continueth in sin with great security. If a wounded man have but one Surgeon, and one salve to cure him, and yet he alas, would slay that Surgeon, and cast away that salve, what hope can there be of his recovery? And such is the condition of a desperate sinner, Christ jesus is the Surgeon, and his precious blood the blessed balm to cure our wounded souls. If a man shall then offer violence to his person, Crucifying again to himself the son of 
e Heb. 6.6.  God: And contempt to this plaster, In treading underfoot the blood of the 
f Heb. 10.29.  Testament; Is there any means left in heaven or earth to cure him? Surely no, but that must needs follow which our Saviour Christ threatened to the jews, 
g john 8.24.  You shall dye in your sins. Saint 
h 1. Tim. 4.1.  Paul prophesieth of some that in the latter times shall departed from the faith, and Saint Peter saith 
i 2. Pet. 2.1. verse 20. , there shall be some that will deny the Lord that bought them: And this afterwards he calls an intangling, meaning so, that one cannot be loosed; and an overcoming, so that he cannot be delivered; the issue of which estate he expresseth, saying, They bring upon themselves swift damnation. And truly when Satan prevaileth so fare, that he vanquisheth them with his suggestions, and fettereth them in the chains of sin, striking his temptations like the nail of jael into the temples of their 
k judge 4.21.  heads, so that they lie grovelling like Sisera in his Tents, being made even his bondslaves and vassals; there is little hope that ever they shall recover. For it is impossible, that they which have been so qualified with the grace of God's spirit, if they fall away, should be renewed by 
l Heb. 6.6.  repentance. The children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they do fall, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is, Prolapsi 
m Ansel. in Heb. 6. Id est totalit. Lapsi. Aquin.  id est, prorsus lapsi, as Anselm interprets, that is, utterly fall away they cannot, for the Lord stays them up with his hand, Psal. 37.24. As when Peter through the terrors of the waves was ready to sink, Christ took him by the hand and saved him: So when we are oppressed with the waves of temptations, and are ready to sink in the Gulf of despair, the Lord reacheth forth the hand of compassion and preserveth us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in many things we stumble all, as Saint james 
n jam 3.2.  saith, Yea the just man falleth seven times (that is, very oft) as Solomon 
o Prou. 24.16.  witnesseth. But here is the comfort that he riseth again, though his foot slip through his frailty, or he be cast down through the stumbling blocks of temptations, yet he finds the centre of God's mercy to rest upon, and takes new footing by unfeigned repentance. Non sic impij, non sic, as for the  it is neither so nor so with them, for their fall is total, it is final. David fell dangerously in the matter of Vriah, 2 Sam. 11. but Saul fell away fearfully, when he consulted with a Witch, 1 Sam. 28. Aaron fell grievously, when he suffered the Israelites to make earings and dance about the Calf, Exod. 32. But Balaam fell away wilfully, when he taught Balaac to entrap the children of Israel, Numb. 31. Peter fell dangerously when he denied Christ jesus, Mat. 26. But judas fell away desperately when he hanged himself, Mat. 27. Thus the godly, although they fall into gross sins, yet do not utterly fall away. According to that in the first of john and the third, Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not, that is, he sinneth not totally and finally. Christ's speech to Peter, Luk. 22. was very comfortable, 
Luke 22.32.  I have prayed for thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  that thy faith fail not, that it be not wholly Eclipsed. And that intercession of Christ is effectual for all God's children, who, albeit they may sometimes labour in obscurity, like the Sun, yet can they never be wholly Eclipsed like the Moon. Though diverse bones be broken or out of joint, yet the skilful Surgeon will set them together again; but if all be asunder, how can they be united? Though the body be subject to a mighty confusion of bad humours, and distemper of blood, yet if the vital spirits be not consumed, nor the vigour of nature utterly exhausted, the skilful Physician hath hope to recover his patient. But if the spirits be spent, and there be no force of nature to assist the medicine, but rather to resist the same, there is no way but one; for what can be expected but death? And so is it in the sickness of the soul, it may be recovered upon many particular diseases of sin, but if it once be subject to a total Apostasy, it can never be cured, there is no way but death with such a sick sinner: and therefore Saint john 
o 1 john 5.16.  doth very fitly call it a sin unto death. If the soul of man be left like the tree that Nabuchadnezzar saw in a 
p Dan. 4.26.  dream (the stump and roots whereof was left in the earth) though many branches of grace be lopped off by Satan, yet behold it may flourish again; but if it be like the tree that Saint jude 
q jude ver. 12.  speaks of, Without fruit, twice dead, & plucked up by the roots, than the axe of God's judgements lies near to it. 
r Luk. 14.34.35  If the salt have utterly lost his savour, it is good for nothing, but to be cast out; so if a Christian have lost all the sap and savour of grace, and become utterly without relish in the practice and profession of godliness, he is good for nothing, but must look to be cast forth into utter darkness, and into that violent fire that shall devour the adversasarie.  
Behold now (beloved) you see what is the sin against the holy Ghost, even a witting, a willing, a malicious, a total Apostasy. And this monstrous sin is like the mighty winds which beating on the four corners of the house wherein jobs children were, did cast it on their heads 
s job. 1.19. : for when sin once breathes, and blows from these four Climates, it draws down the judgements of God upon the sinner's heads, to their everlasting ruin. 
t Levit. 11.20.  And as the Fowls that went on all four, being unclean, were abomination to men: so he that goes grovelling on these four feet of Apostasy, is abominable in the sight of God, and shall be subject to the filthy dungeon with the unclean spirits. But to the end that the nature and danger of this sin may the better appear, let us consider why it is called the sin against the holy Ghost. Where first we must observe, that it is so called, not, because it is committed against the person, but against the attributes, and especial operation of the holy Ghost. The old and vulgar distinction of the Schoolmen doth illustrate this very well. The Father is called Power, against him therefore men are said to sin in weakness, and infirmity. The Son is called Wisdom, against him they offend of ignorance and simplicity. The holy Ghost is called Grace, against him therefore they sinne who transgress wilfully and maliciously; It being then the proper and especial work of the holy Spirit to enlighten the understanding, to mollify the heart by repentance, and to sanctify it by grace; he that shall thus oppose himself against the work of the same spirit, must needs become graceless and impenitent, that blessed and gracious spirit being taken away. For as the iron which was made soft by being in the fire, when it is taken forth becometh harder than ever it was. So the heart of man, which with the fire of God's spirit, was in some sort mollified and made to melt, when the same spirit is utterly withdrawn, becomes extremely obdurate and incorrigible. 
v Dan. 9.9.  To thee (O Lord God) belongeth mercy and forgiveness, saith Daniel. True it is, but when a man hath made himself uncapable of mercy, the cogitation thereof is rather a corrosive then any comfort at all. Are not those who charge Christ with an  spirit, worthy to be possessed with the spirit of slumber? If they despite the spirit of grace, do they not deserve to be deprived of the spirit of grace? If they tread underfoot of a base estimation the Son of God, and the blood of the Testament, is it not a just recompense, that Satan should trample them under his feet in the place of torments? If the Lord give over men to a Reprobate sense, for abusing only the mere gifts of 
x Rom. 1.28.  nature, how much more may they expect to have their eyes blinded and their hearts 
y joh. 12.40.  hardened, who maliciously resist the works of grace? 
z Chrys op. imperf. in Mat. Hom. 37.  And then as the tackle being taken from the ship, and the same left to the mercy of the Seas, is cast upon rocks, dashed in pieces, or drowned in the sands; so, the soul of man being stripped of the tackle of grace, must needs suffer shipwreck, and perish in the gulf of eternal perdition. This misery is by no means to be avoided; for as chrysostom saith, 
a Cum à Deo deserimur Diabolo tradimur. Chrys. in joh. Hom. 67.  when men are forsaken of God, they are delivered to the Devil: not for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord, as the Corinthian 
b 1. Cor. 5.5.  was. But to be vexed in soul here, and to be tormented in soul and body hereafter as Saul 
c 1. Sam. 16.  was. And than what follows our Saviour shows in the persons of the blasphemous Pharisees 
d Luk. 11.25. : When the unclean spirit having been cast out returneth, he brings with him seven spirits worse than himself, which do enter and dwell there and taking up their habitation, do shut fast the door of the heart, so that, albeit the spirit of God do knock again and again 
e Reuel. 3.20. , yet can it find no entrance, and that causeth such a lamentable effect. The latter end of that man is worse than the beginning. Thus the heart being hardened becomes impenitent, and so the impenitent sinner becomes unpardonable: for where there is no grace for Repentance, there is no place for pardon: According to the Apostles words, Rom. 2. 
f Rom. 2.5.  Thou after thy hardness, and heart that cannot repent, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath. The stinging of an Asp is incurable, and such is this wound, and sting of Satan, for it grows cankerous, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, like the sin of Hymeneus and 
g 2 Tim. 2.17.  Philetus. Yea it becomes that which the Surgeons call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even such an eating ulcerous sore as doth totally mortify the part affected, so that all the plasters that art or nature can device, will not help it. This, saith Hierome, is that kind of leprosy which cannot be cured. And so much for the opening of the wound.    

The second part: The searching of the WOUND.  
HEre now (beloved) I could be contented to take my station, and to stay my hand from searching this wound any further: But because there is some controversy concerning the same amongst the spiritual Physicians, to whom the cure or care thereof doth belong, I hold it expedient, either in reconciling, or confuting the differences of opinions, to relieve those who may be subject to doubting, and to satisfy if it be possible, even those which are possessed with the spirit of contradiction: by manifesting, that as I have laid the foundation of my positive doctrine, upon the unmoveable rock of the holy Scriptures, so I have the consent of the learned of all sorts, who do build with me upon the same foundation; so that only singularity shall have occasion to descent.  
There are about this matter but two points controverted, the one is touching the description, the other the remission of this sin. Concerning the first, some make final impenitency to be the sin against the holy Ghost; but those that so do, are confuted by themselves; for they hold the sin against the holy Ghost to be pardonable, so that consequently, if final impenitency be the sin against the holy Ghost, final impenitency should be pardonable: which absurdity every sensible man must needs be ashamed of.  
But Bellarmine himself 
h Bellam. de penitent. lib. 2. cap. 16.  hath diverse arguments for the confutation of this error, which I will briefly repeat.  
1. The sin against the holy Ghost is properly blasphemy, but final impenitency is not blasphemy; therefore final impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost.  
2. Final impenitency is not committed till death, but the sin against the holy Ghost is committed before death: therefore final impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost; The minor proposition is evident, for our Saviour charged the Pharisees with this sin, who were then living, and for any thing we know, lived long after.  
Further, Paul speaking of this sin in the sixth to the Hebrews, saith, it is impossible that they which have committed the same should be renewed by repentance. In which words the Apostle speaketh of those that are alive, else should he affirm that the dead cannot be renewed by repentance, which speech were idle and much unbeseeming so great an Apostle. Again, whereas Saint john saith, there is a sin unto death, I say not that thou shouldst pray for it; 
1 joh. 5.16.  he speaks of living men. And whereas some think he speaks of the dead, the Text is directly against them. For he saith, he that knoweth his brother to sinne a sin not unto death, etc. in which words he admitteth that a man may see and know when the sin is committed, and therefore he speaketh not of final impenitency, which cannot be known till after a man's death, and hardly then also. Moreover if he spoke of the sins of those that are dead, he should not say, He that knows his brother to sin; but he that knows his brother to have sinned.  
Thus Bellarmine having confuted that opinion concerning final impenitency, and affirmed truly, 
Circumstantia quaedam, quae in omni peccato reperiri potest.  that the same is but circumstantia quaedam, a certain circumstance, which may be found in every particular sin: he defineth the sin against the holy Ghost in the same manner as I have handled it, calling it a malicious opposition against the manifest and known truth; 
Athanasius. chrysostom. Basil. Hilary. Ambrose. Hierome. Anselme. Richardus de S. Vict. Theophylact. Beda. Pacianus.  which definition he confirmeth by the common consent of ancient writers 
k Communi consensu veterum. Bellarm, ibid. , to whose reasons and authorities were they not very pithy and pregnant, I might annex sundry 
l Ludolphus de vita Christi. par. 1. cap. 73. P. Lumb. lib. 2. Dist. 43. D. Dionys. Carthus. in Mat. 12. Titleman in Mat. 12. Gagnaus. Catharinus & Alphons. Salmeron super Heb. 6.  others. But that which he allegeth may very well satisfy any reasonable man.  
Now for the other point, namely that this sin is irremissible, I will by God's grace prove it directly by the Scriptures. And because the same is a circumstance somewhat more subject to controversy, I will annex the testimonies and reasons of diverse Papists both ancient and modern. Yea I trust I shall make it evident, that, touching this point, there is indeed no such difference, but that which may be reconciled by a distinction allowed on all parts, if men will lay by the humours of contradiction and contention.  
First, the three Evangelists which mention this sin, do absolutely deny remission to him that commits it. Saint Luke saith plainly, 
m Luk. 12.10.  It shall not be forgiven him. Saint Mark more expressly, 
n Mark. 3.29.  He shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of eternal damnation. Yea the vulgar Latin hath it, of an everlasting sin. 
Aeterni delicti.  Saint Matthew yet more vehemently, 
o Mat. 12.32.  it shall not be forgiven him, either in this world, or in the world to come. May I not here use Saint Augustine's words in another case, 
p Aug. Epi. 59  Quid hoc evidentius, quid apertius, quid expressius? What speeches could be uttered more evident, more apparent, more vehement, than these? I cannot but wonder, that any man should shut his eyes against the clear light of such an evident truth, or open his mouth to contradict it. Yea, that any should dare to assay the breaking of such a threefold cord, as when the holy Ghost saith, It shall not be forgiven, to affirm, yes it shall be forgiven. When he saith, it shall never have forgiveness, to avough yes it shall have forgiveness, though hardly: And when he saith, neither in this world, nor in the world to come, to say presumptuously, yes, either in this world or in the world to come. If this be tolerable, what truth is there so certain or sacred, but it shall be subject to contradiction? Let us compare this place with another, though much inferior in the vehemency of negation. It is said in the ninth of Mark, that 
q Mark. 9.44.  the fire of hell never goeth out; and why may not one by the like exposition say, yes, it will go out, but yet hardly, which were happy news for Dives, and other damned spirits; And a good supporting of origen's old error, who held, that hell should be destroyed, and all the damned after a certain number of years be saved. But indeed such licentious expositions are utterly unlawful, and do parallel Satan's denial of the Lords words, in the second and third of Genesis, 
r Gen. 2.17. Gen. 3.4.  you shall surely die, you shall not die at all.  
But Bellarmine 
s De Penitent. lib. 2. c. 16.  would expound the speeches of the Evangelists by certain places in Matthew and jeremy. In the nineteenth of Matthew 
t Mat. 19.24.26.  our Saviour saith, It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. In which words saith he, our Saviour seems plainly to exclude rich men from salvation, yet he adds, that which is impossible to men, is possible to God. 
v jer. 13.32.  And in the thirteenth of jeremy, he saith, that the jews can no more be changed, than the blacke-Moore can change his skin, or the Leopard his spots, and yet doth he in many places after that, exhort and call them to repentance.  
To these place I answer, first in general, that they are not like; for though in similitudes and comparisons, extensive speeches are sometimes used, to note a difficulty by an impossibility 
x As Mat. 24.35. compared with Luke 16.17. , yet in a simple negation it is not so. And further to the places in particular. First, those words in the nineteenth of Matthew may be taken for a direct and simple negative, being truly expounded? for our Saviour in the tenth of Saint Mark 
y Mark. 10.24. , doth thus qualify the rigour of them: It is hard for them that trust in riches, to enter into heaven. So that a man may truly say, it is impossible for a man so besotted with his riches and devoted to his wealth, that he makes it the especial object of his love, the centre of his hope, the fort of his confidence, to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Secondly, I deny not, but, as it is possible, respecting the absolute omnipotency of Almighty God, to save such a rich man; so is there no defect in God, for saving of him that sins against the holy-Ghost: but the impossibility ariseth from the sinner himself. 
z For so some take the word. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Let the bunch on the Camels back be taken away, and he may go into the gate at Jerusalem, called the needle's eye: let the gable rope be untwisted, and you may put it through the eye of a needle: So let the rich man like Zacheus give some part of his goods to the poor, and make restitution where he hath wronged, and he may come to heaven: And let him that hath blasphemed repent and believe, and he shall surely be saved.  
Concerning the words in jeremy, we must observe a rule of Scripture, which Saint 
* Aug. collat. cum Donat. c. 20.  Augustine and Bellarmine himself observeth: 
a Bellarm. de Eccle. militante. lib. 3. cap. 16.  Namely, that sometimes those things are spoken indefinitely of all, which properly and directly do belong to a part 
b Compare Ezeck. 3.7. with 9.4. Gal. 3.1. with. 6.1.  only. It is written in the twelfth of john, 
c joh. 12.39.  Though he had done many miracles there, yet they believed not in him. Here a man would think, that none of the jews believed in Christ; yet verse 42. It is said that many of the rulers believed in him. When our Saviour at his passion prayeth thus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. This could not be spoken of every individual man, which had a hand in his execution, but only of some; for it is evident, that divers of them most desperately, even against their conscience did oppose themselves against Christ: and so might the Lord speak indefinitely of the jews, that they were like the black-More even altogether incorrigible, when as some of them, notwithstanding were capable of Repentance and Pardon. Again, if it were granted, that the Lord counted all the jews unrecoverable, must it needs be that his sending to persuade them to repentance, doth therefore cross his censure? Who knows not that it is usual with God, to send his Prophets and Preachers, to call them to repentance, of whom he hath said expressly before, that they will not 
d jere. 7.27. Ezek. 2.4.5.  repent, and yet he sent to them that so they might be without excuse?  
Secondly, as the Evangelists do plainly teach the impossibility of pardon for this sin: So doth Saint Paul in this Epistle use many and weighty Arguments to confirm the same, which I will briefly contract into one.  


He that cannot possibly be renewed by Repentance. 
Heb. 6.4.6.   
He that falls quite away. 
Heb. 10.26.29.   
He that cannot have any benefit by Christ's sacrifice.  
He that dies without mercy.  
He that must certainly look for a fearful judgement.   Cannot be pardoned & saved.  
But he that sins against the holy Ghost, cannot be renewed by Repentance, He falls quite away, he cannot have any benefit by Christ's sacrifice, he dies without mercy, he must certainly look for a fearful judgement, and violent fire: therefore he that sins against the holy Ghost, cannot be pardoned and saved.  
To these places Bellarmine and the Rhemists do answer, that whereas the Apostle saith, he cannot be renewed by Repentance, and there remains no more sacrifice for sin, he is thus to be understood, he cannot have the benefit of a second Baptism. To whom I answer: First, Bellarmine and the Rhemists do without all warrant or reason confound Baptism and Repentance, and the sacrifice of Christ; And, if Baptism and Repentance be confounded, why should not also the other doctrines mentioned with the same? So that Repentance. Faith, Baptism, the resurrection, and the last judgement shall be all one. But let these men who are so violent without any arguments, and so confident upon only the bare words of two or three of the Father's expounding this place, let them consider what others of the ancient Fathers have written, and what even these have affirmed concerning this sin in other places. The ingenuity of Arias Montanus 
e Arius Monta. in Heb. 6.  a learned Papist is much to be commended, who saith most truly, that it is an extreme racking of the word Repentance, when it is here without cause transferred to another sense. Again, if it were granted that the Apostle in the sixth to the Hebrews, denieth a second Baptism when he speaks of Repentance, because they are mentioned together in the same place, and have some affinity and correspondence: yet how doth it follow that in this Chapter he should have relation to Baptism? When as the same is neither directly mentioned, nor by any necessary consequent implied or intimated? Lastly, suppose the Apostles words were so to be taken, as that he should therein deny second Baptism to the sinner, doth not the same imply a denial of pardon? For why should he deny them a second Baptism, but to teach them, that the means and instrumental causes of Repentance and reconciliation being denied, the effect cannot be granted? But the truth is, as every single eye may perceive, that the Apostle hath in those places utterly excluded those that sin against the holy Ghost, both from the means, and fruit of repentance.  
Thirdly, Saint john 
f 1 john. 5.16.  speaking of this sin; calls it a sin unto death, meaning such a sin as yields death without remedy or recovery, as the phrase being an Hebraisme doth necessarily import, and chrysostom doth truly expound 
g Chrys. in psal. 49  in lege quaedam fuêre immedicabilia, etc.  it. Yea Alphonsus Salmeron 
h Alph. Salmer. in 1. Ep. joh. dispu. 32. , one of the Fathers and founders of the jesuites, calls it a sin to death, quia suapte natura, tendit ad mortem animae: because it doth naturally tend to the death of the soul. Again, the Apostle forbids us to pray for such a sinner. Now if prayer, which should be the means to work Repentance in men, and to procure remission for them at the hands of God, may not be afforded them, is there any hope that such should be pardoned? To this Bellarmine answers, that the Apostle doth not directly forbid us to pray for such, but only doth not encourage or persuade us, because the suit is very hard to be obtained. And to him I reply, that first the desperateness of the disease being to death, may imply a reason of denying the medicine of prayer to obtain life. 
1 john 5.  Secondly, the coherence of the words, with the words precedent, do evict them to be a direct prohibition. For whereas before he had taught, 
Vers. 14.  that if we ask any thing according to Gods will, we shall be heard, he presently addeth these words, as a Caveat, that we pray not for him that sinneth unto death, because that such a prayer is not according to Gods will. Thirdly, if Saint john had noted only a difficulty, not an impossibility of obtaining our desires, should he not have persuaded us to be the more earnest and importunate in prayer, rather than to have discouraged us? When our Saviour saith 
i Mat. 7.14.  that the way is narrow, and the gate is straight that leadeth unto life, would you not make him absurd in saying, I say not that you shall enter that way: or indiscreet in discouraging men, by denying them hope of entrance? Doth he not better in persuading us, strive therefore earnestly to enter into that strait 
k Luk. 13.24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  gate: and so, if the matter had been subject to difficulty, and not to impossibility, doubtless Saint john would have exhorted us, even to strive mightily 
l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rom. 15.20.  by prayers to God for the remission of that sin, as Saint Paul speaks, Rom. 15.30. Lastly, that it is a direct prohibition, diverse both ancient Fathers, and Papists also do directly avouch. As 
m Tertul de pudic. cap. 19  Tertullian 
n Aug. ser. Domini in Monte. lib 1.  Augustine, 
o Hier. cited by P. Lumberd.  Hierome, 
p Sixtus Quintus orat. habit. in consistor. de morte. Henr 3  Sixtus Quintus, 
q F●rus. in 1. joh. 5.  Ferus, 
r Didac. de la vega. in Psal. 6. penitent Con. 5. and diverse others.  Didacus de la Vega, and diverse others. Yea, Catharinus 
s Catharin in 1. Epist. joh. cap. 5. , in my judgement, hath written very judiciously concerning both this place and the point in hand. Some (saith he) have made this place obscure, supposing that to be absurd which indeed hath no absurdity in it (meaning that prayer should be denied to some kind of sinners.) But this comes to pass by reason of a certain old and vulgar opinion, namely, that no such outrageous, or devilish sin could be found, which of itself was inexpiable.  
Thus having proved by the authority of sacred Scriptures that this sin is irremissible, and answered such objections as have been made against my proof, I might also confirm the same by many testimonies of the ancient 
t Tertul de pudicitia. cap. 2. Cyprian. lib. 3. justin ad Quirin. cap. 28. Chry. in psa. 49. Hieron. Ep. 22. ad Marcel. Aug. expos. Epist. ad Rom. inchoat. Origen, etc.  Fathers, besides those which have already been produced, but I haste to that point which I have ever affected, and in the beginning promised and propounded, namely, the reconciling of diversity in opinion.  
It is a distinction of the 
u Gerson. pars 2. compend. Theo. log. de septem. vitijs capital. Negatiuè. Priuatiuè. Contrariè.  Schoolmen, a sin may be called irremissible, three manner of ways, negatively, privatively, contrarily. Negatively, which can no way be pardoned, as the sins of the reprobate Angels. Privatively, when the sin by congruence of merit deserves to be punished, though by congruity of God's mercy it may be pardoned, of which nature is every ordinary mortal sin. Contrarily, when the sin hath a disposition contrary to pardon and remission, and such is the sin against the holy Ghost: For it doth directly resist and reject the grace of God, as Bellarmine confesseth 
x Directè resistet & repudiet gratiam Dei. Bell. de poenit. lib 2. cap. 17. . It hardeneth the heart, so that those which commit this sin, are usually given over to a reprobate sense, and forsaken of God, as judas was, so that they cannot repent, as Anselme 
y Ita quod non possint poenitere. Anselm. in Mat. 12.  affirmeth. Yea it hardeneth a man's heart like a stone, so that he cannot be helped by the prayers of the Church, as P. Lumbord 
z P. Lumb. lib. 2. dist. 43. b.  reporteth. Bonaventure 
a Bonauent. in 2▪ scent. dist. 43. quaest. 1. Potestatem & dispositionem poenitentiae private. Ibid. quaest. 2  calls it a sin to death, because it taketh away the disposition of receiving life, which consisteth in the embracing of repentance. Yea, if it be strictly taken and considered (saith he) it depriveth men both of the power and disposition of repentance, so that there is left neither inclination nor hability to repent. And therefore as Catharinus 
b Catarrh. in Heb. 6. & ●. Epist joh.  doth acknowledge this sin to be unpardonable, so doth Sixtus Quintus 
c Sixt. Quint. ubi supra. , and yields the same reason that others do, saying, By reason of men's impenitency, this sin becomes absolutely and simply unpardonable. And Gerson 
d Vbi supra.  saith, that in this respect it can by no means be remitted: Yea, that final impenitency doth certainly cleave to this blasphemous Apostasy, Dionysius plainly affirmeth 
e Dionys. & Hug. Card. in Mat. 12. , and yields two reasons for it. Yea Hugo Cardinalis gives eight reasons of this impossibility of pardon. Stella 
f Nunquam de facto remittitur, quanquam possit remitti. Stella. in Luk. 12.  and jansenius 
g Non negat remissionis possibilitatem sed eventum. jansen. Concord. Cap. 49.  indeed, being willing to say as much as they can for the power and possibility of pardon for this sin, are constrained to confess, that actually, and indeed, it is never remitted, although there be some possibility, that it may be remitted. Alas that is a poor possibility that is never reduced into act. Such possibilities are but idle Chimaeras, even ridiculous conceits. There is a similitude used by diverse, yea by some who seem to contradict the unpardonablenesse of this sin, which similitude doth indeed express it, with the reason and manner of it, and it is this.  
As the man which is sick, 
h Ludolph de vita Christi. par. 1. cap. 73. Bonauent. in 2. sent. distin 43. quaest. 2. Gerson ubi supr. Greg. de Valent. disp. lib. 1. qu. 4. punct. 3. Bellarm. de poens. lib. 2. cap. 17.  if he be in that case that he can neither take food nor Physic, may rightly be said to be uncurable; so he that is infected with the sickness of this sin, being through his impenitency uncapable of God's mercy, and Christ's merits, may truly be said to be unpardonable. The medicine and means of recovery is neither weak nor wanting to him that hath grace to apply it; but he that wants this grace is wanting to himself. God doth not work always to the uttermost extent of his mighty power, 
i Phil. 3.21.  whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself, but distributeth, or denyeth to every man so as seems best to his divine wisdom; and works (as it is in the Philosophical Axiom) according to the capacity of the patiented, making men desirous of salvation where he doth grant it, and capable of grace where he doth impart it. In which sense it is said, our Saviour could not do many works amongst his Countrymen, because of their unbelief. Mark 6.5.  
'tis true, as chrysostom saith, 
k Chrys. in Gen. Hom. 19  there is no sin so great, that it can overcome God's mercy, if we repent and ask pardon in due time; but if a man have no power to repent, than God hath no will to pardon. The Lord's hand is not shortened, that he cannot help, but man's heart is hardened that he cannot repent, and this makes the sin unpardonable; so that the question is not of God's power and man's will, but of man's power and Gods will.  
There is no man that hath more judiciously decided this controversy than 
l Beda in Mar. 3  Beda and 
m Ludolph. de vita Christi. par. 1. cap. 73.  Ludolphus, with whose words, being consonant to the truth, and concluding what I have at large delivered, I will conclude: The spirit of blasphemy shall not be forgiven a man, 
Sicut nunquam ad remissionem ita nunquam ad poenitentiam perventurus est.  not because remission is denied him if he repent, but because that such a blasphemer, through his just desert, as he can never obtain remission, so can he never come to repentance. And so much for the searching of the wound.   

The third part: The binding up the WOUND.  
IT remaineth now in the third and last place, that I bind up the wound, with Application, not with hope to cure it; which if I should promise, I might be like those Lawyers, who for their fees do undertake men's causes though they know them to be unconscionable, and those Physicians and Surgeons, who take in hand the cure of those patients, whose sores and sickness they know be incurable. I may say of this sin as jeremy saith of Babylon. 
n jer. 51.9.  We would have cured Babylon, but she could not be cured: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own Country. This sin cannot possibly be cured, therefore let every one in the fear of God have care that he may avoid it.  
The Apostle speaking of this sin to the Hebrews, saith, 
o Heb. 6.9.  Confidemus de vobis meliora delectissimi; and so do I say to you, beloved, I hope better things of you all, and such as belong to salvation. For were your hearts possessed with this sin, you could have small delight in this sacred assembly, and holy exercise. Now although there be no place of application for cure, yet is there for matter of confutation, of admonition, & of consolation. Of confutation against error, of admonition against security, of consolation against despair.  
For first, those merciless men the Novatians 
p So called of Novatus their ringleader. Euseb. hist. Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 42. Ambros. de poenit lib. 1. cap. 9 Hieron. ad Marcel. de blasph. in 55.  are hereby confuted, who held every gross sin committed by a Christian to be the sin against the holy Ghost: and therefore, how seriously penitent soever any one was after such a sin (though of infirmity) yet they accounted his repentance to be fruitless, and uncapable of the mercy of God. 
q Socrates. lib. 1. cap. 7.  So that whereas diverse in the primitive Church fell into Idolatry through fear of most horrible tortures prepared for Christians; Albeit they did afterward exceedingly bewail their miserable condition, yet would they not yield them the privileges of the Church, nor join with them in the participation of the blessed Sacraments.  

r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Euseb. hist. Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 42. Epiphan. Tom●●haeres. 59  These were the men which through swelling pride did take to themselves the name of Puritans▪ But the very matter of their doctrine (as Epiphaneus truly saith) doth prove them to be impure.  
Against these men as diverse of the ancient Fathers have written very substantially: So even the torrent of the sacred 
s 1 joh. 7.8. jam. 3.2. Ezek. 18.22. Mat. 11.28.  Scriptures (which convince all men of sin, and offer pardon to every true penitent) doth utterly condemn them. Amongst other things, that just and ingenious reproof of that renowned Emperor Constantine to Acesius a Novatian Bishop is worthy of remembrance. When the good Emperor did ask this proud Bishop, why he did separate himself from the Communion of the faithful, his answer being, because they had fallen in the persecution of Decius, Constantine replied, 
t Socrat. l. 1. c. 7.  Erige tibi scalam Acesi, & ad coelum solus ascend. Set thee up a Ladder O Acesius, whereby thou mayest climb to heaven alone. justly taxing thereby his pride, and truly showing, that if his opinion were true, no man could come to heaven, because no man is free from sin. Saint Augustine saith, 
u Aug. Hom. 27.  some objected against him, That he opened a gap to sin, when he offered a heaven of safety to every repentant sinner, but most injuriously; For if almighty God be so gracious, that to a man unfeignedly forsaking his sins, and serving God with an upright heart, Non solum veniam promittit sed coronam, grants not only the remission of sin, but the reward of a Crown, as Cypryan 
x Cyprian de laps. Serm. 5.  speaketh: Why should men be so austere and strict, as to shut up the bowels of compassion to the serious penitent?  
And here by the way (beloved) let me give you a caveat. Forasmuch as this sin doth depend upon such difficult circumstances, the extraordinary gift of discerning the spirits being 
y 1 Cor. 12.10.  abolished, it is very hard without some rare 
z Sine rarissimis inspirationibus. Bez. de pass. dom. Hom. 28.  inspiration, to discern this sin in others, and very dangerous to charge any with the same. Therefore, although you see some sin very desperately, yet take heed, you step not hastily into God's throne, but rather erect a tribunal in your own hearts, and judge yourselves, as the Apostle exhorts, 
a 1 Cor. 11.31.  do not unadvisedly shoot forth the darts of your censures against others, nor uncharitably deny them the comfort of your prayers. Caietans charitable speech doth much affect 
b Caietan. in Epist. 1 john.  me. Whereas Saint john saith, If thou seest thy brother sin a sin to death, I say not that thou shouldest pray for him: Memini Bernardum, etc. I remember saith he, that Bernard adds, & si non oars, gemas tamen, even when thou mayest not pray for him, yet mayst thou sigh for him. Fortassis gemitus tuus penetret, quò oratio non praesumit tendere. Happily thy sighs may have access, where thou darest not send thy prayers. As for the Novatians, only the mistaking of diverse places of Scripture misled them, which being freed from their erroneous exposition, do nothing serve for the supporting of their merciless heresy.  
Secondly, here is matter of admonition. For, seeing this sin is so dreadful, we should be very careful and fearful, lest we fall into the same. Though it were a wound like Alexander's, of which the historian saith, curatio vulneris gravior ipso vulnere? The curing of the wound was more grievous, than the wound itself: yet if there were any hope of cure, it were somewhat tolerable, but when all the balm in Gilead cannot cure it, it is most lamentable. It is a point of wisdom to prevent corporal diseases that are mortal, and it is much more necessary to prevent the spiritual. And as for the better prevention of sickness, and preservation of health, diverse hurtful meats are to be shunned, and certain wholesome means to be used: so for the preventing of this mortal disease, and preserving the soul in spiritual health, diverse evil courses are to be carefully avoided, and diverse Christian duties to be diligently practised.  
When you are tempted by Satan or his instruments, consent not, if he thrust any evil temptations into your heads by conceit, as he did into the head of Christ jesus: 
Mat. 4.  let him never put it into your hearts by consent, 
joh. 13.2. Chrys. in Mat. hom. 67.  as he did into the heart of judas. What madness is it (saith chrysostom) to entertain the temptations of the Devil who seeks to torment thee, rather than the motions of Christ's spirit, who desires to save thee? To receive a sword at the hands of a Thief to kill thee, and to refuse a Diadem at the hands of a King to crown thee? Remember that comfortable precept and promise, Resist the Devil, 
jam. 4.7.  and he will fly from thee.  
Take heed of the degrees of sin, for they are dangerous; One sin draws on another, as one wave drives forward another; and as great waters arise of small heads, which do break down banks, and carry them away; such are the inundations of sin, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Inundaverunt. Sept. & vulgar. Hos. 4.2.  when they break out, and blood toucheth blood. It behooveth every Christian therefore to take heed of the beginning of sin, and to stop the course and current of the same, lest that it becoming violent, cast down the banks of God's threatenings, and carry him headlong to the sin of all sins. Men do not fall into deadly diseases but by degrees; neither do they slip into this deadly sin, but by diverse degrees do fall into it, as Theodoret doth manifest in julian the Emperor, 
Theodoret. hist. lib. 3. cap. 3.  who first banished the fear of God, and at last, Pietate omnino spoliebatur, was utterly bereft of Piety.  
When a sinner gives way to his own corruptions and Satan's temptations, he becomes like the Image in Daniel 
i Dan. 2.45. , whose head was gold, his breast of silver, his belly of brass, his legs of iron, his feet of clay; thus doth he wax worse and worse, till at last as a stone cut out of a mountain without hands smote the image and broke it in pieces: So the judgements of God, not created in the beginning by the hand of God, but cut out of the mountain of man's transgressions, doth beat him in pieces like a potter's vessel. For if our sins do increase, and come one in the neck of another, like the messengers of job, our punishments must needs follow like the plagues of Egypt. Therefore Woe be to them (saith the Prophet) that 
k Esa. 5.18.  draw iniquity in the cords of vanity, and sin as with cart-ropes. Cordes are twisted of many small threads which severally have very small force, but united are very strong: and so it cometh to pass, that the threads of smaller sins being twisted by oft committing, and drawn out by long continuance, do at last make this great gable of the sin against the holy-Ghost, wherewith the sinners hands and feet being bound, He is cast into utter darkness, where is nothing 
l Mat. 22.13.  but wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
Be careful to avoid the least sin, lest the same be an introduction to greater. For as the Philistims came upon Samson and overcame him, by diverse insinuations; first bound his hands, then plaited his hair, and at last shaved off his locks: So do sin and Satan wind themselves in by diverse inferior temptations, still proceeding and augmenting the same till the locks of grace be quite shaved off. As it is said of Ninus Victores, 
m justin. 1. lib. 1  Quaeque sequentis victoriae causa fuit, every victory was the means of another conquest: So every smaller suggestion of Satan becomes an instrument of a greater temptation. Had king David at the first been persuaded to murder Vriah he would have said, what murder Vriah, my loyal subject, my faithful servant? God forbidden, not for the one half of my kingdom. Yet after that he had sinned with Bathsheba, adultery made way to cruelty. Sins are like the sores of the body, which at first are but vicious humours, than tumors, after that impostumate, and at last become uncurable. So the sores of sin wax greater and greater, 
Mortem parit immortalem. Chrys. in Psal. 6. Bern. de advent. Ser. 6. Et in Cant. Serm. 15.  till they breed and bring eternal death. And therefore Bernard doth very fitly call sin morbum animae, and mortem animae, The soul's sickness, and the soul's death. Thus as robbers put some little villain into the house which sets open the doors to all the thiefs: And as warriors by a smaller breach do get into the besieged City, and then do rob, and kill, and burn, and utterly spoil it; So doth the devil get entrance and advantage of men by some smaller sin, and prevaileth more and more till he hath battered the foundation of their faith, despoiled them of the rich ornaments of grace, and become even Lord of the Soul.  
If at any time you be cast down by the temptations of the devil (as alas who can always stand) let him not keep you down. That is good counsel of our Saviour, 
o Reu. 2.4.  Remember whence thou art fallen, repent and amend. The prodigal child is set forth a pattern to this purpose, who 
p Luke 15: Ver. 18.21.  said (and did what he said) that he would rise and go to his father, confess his sins and crave pardon for the same. Redeat homo per quotidiana lamenta, unde corruit per vana delectamenta 
q Aug. de temp. Ser. 182. , saith Saint Austin. Let a man return by daily lamentations, to that from whence he is fallen by vain delectations. Repentance is the only stay that holds us from falling into hell. Repent therefore and proportion your Repentance according to your sins, like Manasses, who having caused the streets of jerusalem to flow with blood, made the prison in Babylon to run with tears. 
r Cyprian de Laps. Ser. 5.  Alto vulnere diligens medicina non desit (saith Cyprian,) a deep wound must have a diligent cure. Thus let every sinner raise up himself by true and unfeigned Repentance, lest his slips of infirmity become the fall of Apostasy.  
Take heed of backsliding, reciduation in sin is no less dangerous than a relapse in sickness. The bone oft broken will hardly be set; The tree that's oft transplanted will scarcely prosper. Hath Christ washed 
s Reuel. 1.6.  thee in his blood? Cured thee with his stripes, 
Esa. 53.5.  and healed thee with his wounds? hath he paid thy debts, canceled the bond upon the cross, and set thee up being a 
t Col. 2.13.  bankrupt in grace? Return not with the swine to wallow in thy filthy sins, let not the devil wound thee again by fresh bleeding iniquities, run not into debt by new transgressions, Yea sin no more lest a worse thing happen 
v joh. 5.14.  to thee.  
Thus all sins are carefully to be avoided, yet some are more especially to be shunned as having a spice of this dangerous disease, the sin against the holy Ghost, and some duties likewise are more especially to be practised as means and mithridates against that woeful evil. Amongst many I will observe some in both kinds.  
It is dangerous to sin against knowledge, and more dangerous yet to sin against the checks of conscience, but most dangerous to sin against the motions of God's blessed spirit. It is dangerous madness for the pilot to shut his eyes against the stars that should guide him. And such is the case of all those, who wilfully put out the light of knowledge, and regard not the checks of conscience. The Lord tells Israel in the second of Hosea, I will stop thy way with thorns, and so doth he set the stings of conscience to stay the sinner, if it be possible, from his wicked courses, and fearful is the neglect thereof. For he that regards not the cry of his sins to his conscience, shall surely have them crying to heaven against him for vengeance.  
Take heed of scorning or vilifying the blessed word of God, especially the Gospel of Peace. When men shall be angry with the word, 
1 Reg. 22.8.  as Ahab was with Michaiah, because it reproves their corruptions, it is with them as our Saviour saith, 
y joh. 3.19.20.  They hate the light because their works are evil: and it argues their deformities, that they cannot abide to look into the glass 
z jam. 1.23.  which discovers them. When men do thus disesteem and shun the Gospel of Christ, it is a shrewd sign that the same is no pardon of theirs, but rather their indictment. There are some who have scarce three sentences of Scripture, yet of those they have no further use, but to apply them profanely in the midst of their vain exercises. Let such take heed: We say it is not safe to make sport with edge tools; but I am sure it is dangerous to jest with God's sacred ordinances.  
Oppose not yourselves against any work of grace, that is eminent in any of God's servants, or made evident to your Consciences by the word or works of God. This was the fearful sin of many of the jews, who though they beheld the divine power shining in the words and works of Christ; yet did they oppose themselves against him, charging him in a blasphemous manner, to cast out Devils by the help of Belzebub the prince of Devils. And such were those whom the blessed and mild Martyr Saint Stephen takes up so roundly, calling them stiff necked, of uncircumcised hearts.  
Take heed of inconstancy and wavering in your holy profession, as some do 
a Heb. 10.39.  which withdraw themselves to perdition. The Apostle here warns us that we cast not away our confidence; and reason, for by it 
b Eph 6.16.  we quench the fiery darts of the Devil. We should not be like Demosthenes, who in the midst of the battle cast away his buckler inscribed with golden letters 
c Plutar. in vita Demost.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, good fortune: But rather imitate that worthy Theban Epaminondas, who being ready to expire in his tent, enquired whether the enemy had got his target which fell from him in receiving of a deadly wound: But it being preserved and presented to him, 
justin. lib. 7.  Veluti laborum suorum gloriaeque socium osculatus est: He kissed it as the associate in his labours, and the companion of his honours. Some send away Religion for a time, thinking to take it up again at their pleasure, but such oft times prove like Noah's Raven, they hover and flutter up and down, but hardly return into the Ark of the Church. There have been diverse malcontents amongst us, who have had their excursions, and revolted to popery, but let those who are wand'ring return with speed to the bosom of their mother, 
Non perdit visc●ra via matter Eclesia. August. Hom. 27.  Who hath not lost the bowels of compassion, except they have lost all sense of grace. Let those that are returned be seriously humbled for this their revolt, as for a fearful sin, and bless God for their conversion, as for a great mercy. And let every one take heed of inconstancy in his holy profession, lest he become like Ecebolius, 
Socrates lib. 3. cap. 11.  who as Socrates saith changed with every Emperor, like the weather cock with every wind; and as he began so he lived and died an unconstant man. If therefore your cogitations be never so little declining, stop the course of them whilst you have means to recover yourselves, and make such a league with Religion as Elizeus made with Elias; As the Lord liveth, and as thy Soul liveth I will not leave thee.  
Take heed of presumptuous sins; For who would adventure to take deadly poison, though he had the best mithridate in the world? 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Gal. 6.1.  If a Christian shall be suddenly surprised by Satan, before he can bethink himself of the nature or danger of the sin, 
d Sam. 11.2.  as David was, when he was ensnared with the beauty of Bathsheba, he is to be pitied: But when a man shall immediately upon the temptation run to the mercy of God 
e Rom. 2.4. , abuse his patience, and say presumptuously within himself, like him in the Psalm 
f Psal. 10. 

Ver. 6.  
Ver. 12.    Tush, I shall never be cast down. Tush, God hath forgotten, he hideth away his face and will never see it, his case is very dangerous. Therefore did the Prophet David pray so earnestly 
g Psal. 19.13. , Lord keep thy servant from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me, so shall I be innocent from the great offence. Surely beloved, he that avoideth sins of presumption shall never fall into this heinous sin of Apostasy.  
Especially take heed of Malice and hatred. Malice against men is dangerous, but if it bend itself against the God of heaven, his servants, or his sacred truth, it is damnable and odious, for it is peccatum Diabolicum, the Devil's proper & especial sin. 
Augustin.  I cannot better compare a man in this case, then to mount Aetna, which hath the fire boiling and burning within it, and breaks forth sometimes suddenly into furious flames: For so when the fire of this malice shall boil and burn in the heart of a man, it will quickly break forth into the flames of blasphemy, as it appeareth in the practice of the malicious jews.  
Honour the word of God, especially the Gospel of Christ, 
h Phil. 2.16.  as the word of life, 
i Rom. 1.16.  as the power of God to salvation. Esteem it and rejoice in it, as the wise men did in the star which led them to Christ, 
k Mat. 2.10.  When they saw the star they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy. When you hear or read it, do it with all reverence, and receive it as 
l 1 Thes. 2.13.  the word of God, which worketh in them that believe, and being grafted in you 
m jam. 1.21.  is able to save your Souls. Whatsoever you learn forth of the word, if it be a known truth, do not wilfully reject it, but willingly embrace it, though it cross your profits or your pleasures never so much. If we be weak yet in no case let us be wilful.  
What good lessons soever you learn, be careful to put them in practice; God looks that every talon should be employed to his glory. Therefore let not your knowledge swim idly in your brains, like the heavens in their bare revolutions, much less in their malevolent conjunctions, but see that it be fruitful in your lives, like the heavens in their sweet influences. I have read of a Pirate who taking a vessel that was for Dover, and falling to rifle her, happened upon a Bible, which when he opened to see what book it was, he light suddenly upon that precept, Thou shalt not steal, whereupon his heart was stricken with remorse: But one of his company taking notice of the accident, said in a desperate manner, Wherefore came we to sea then? and so cast the Bible over the board. This was a fearful putting out the light of knowledge, and neglect of an extraordinary admonition, which the offender did exceedingly bewail at his death.  
Look to the sincerity of your hearts; for the heart is the fountain, and therefore it is necessary that it be kept pure and uncorrupted. Sickness seizeth easily and dangerously upon corrupt bodies, but those which by sobriety and temperance are kept sound, cannot be so quickly infected. 
Cum viritim Athenienses aegroturent. Aeli: va. Histo. lib. 17  As Aelian writes of Socrates, who retained his health when the Athenians were every man sick. So hypocrisy lets in this sin readily, but sincerity keeps it out as carefully. The Apostle therefore admonisheth fitly in the third to the Hebrews, 
Heb. 12.13.  Take heed that there be not in you an evil and unfaithful heart to departed from the living God. And in the twelfth to the Hebrews 
Heb. 3.12.  he exhorts; Make strait steps to your feet, lest that which is halting be turned out of the way: showing that a false heart void of sincerity draws away from God, and halting hypocrisy leads us out of the way of life. Therefore whatsoever we profess, let it be in sincerity; for commonly where religion gins in hypocrisy, it ends in apostasy.  
Cherish the fear of God: An awful and humble spirit is a singular blessing. Saint Cyprian saith well, Timor innocentiae custos, 
Cyprian. Epist. 2.  Fear is a good keeper of innocence. And Solomon saith, 
Prou. 14.27.  The fear of the Lord is a wellspring of life to avoid the snares of death. This deadly sin cannot have access to that heart, where the fear of God resideth. For as the veins that have narrow passages, do hardly receive poison: So where the passages of your souls are straightened with a reverend awe of the majesty of God, you can never be infected with the poison of this blasphemy, which is ever accompanied with haughty pride. Therefore I may say with Solomon, 
Prou. 28.14.  Blessed is the man that feareth always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil.  
Be careful to entertain the motions of God's blessed spirit: For how can you with hope and comfort knock at the door of mercy, if you will not hear the spirit of God knocking at the door of your hearts? What true joy can your hearts have, when you grieve the spirit of God by sending him away? and what know you, if you send him away, whether he will ever return to you again?  
When you have entertained the good motions of God's spirit, be careful to cherish them. Behold how our Saviour rouseth up the Church of Sardis in the third of the Revelation: 
Reuel. 3.2.  Be awake and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to dye. The Lord cannot abide any loss in these rich jewels: And therefore Saint Paul exhorts, 
1 Thes 5.19.  quench not the spirit; as the holy fire which came from heaven was carefully preserved in the Temple: So must you see that in your souls, the temples of the holy Ghost, his heavenly graces be carefully cherished. Yea the Lord looks for an improvement of his graces, according to the Apostles exhortation; Grow in grace, 
2 Pet. 3.18.  and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  
Lastly, 
Ephes. 6.  get the spirit of prayer and supplication, which is the special part of the Apostles complete armour. 
Magnum oratio propugnaculum. Chrys. Idem de orando Deum. lib. 2.  This is a mighty fortress against the assaults of Satan; yea it is (saith chrysostom) the life and sinews of our souls. Prayer is an especial means to enlighten the understanding with knowledge, and to water the heart with grace. Eusebius 
Euseb. hist. Eccles. 5.5.  shows that the Christians by Prayer obtained fulmen adversus hostis, imbrem ad refocillandum exercitum: lightning against the enemy, and rain to refresh the army. So be careful daily and duly to power forth your prayers to God, and you shall be fortified against this and other sins; you shall be furnished with grace and established with the Lords free spirit for ever.  
3. Here is matter of consolation for every penitent heart; because Repentance is a most certain supersedeas, and evidence of freedom from this fearful sin, which if you have obtained, though you have wounded spirits, as Solomon 
e Prou. 18.14.  speaks; though your souls were subject to a thousand Ulcers, as chrysostom 
f Paulus eos curavit qui sexcenta ulcera habebant, Chrys. in Philip. Hom. 4.  saith, yet may I say of your sins as our Saviour said of Lazarus sickness, 
g john 11.  they are not unto death. For if they were, your hearts would be like the Anuile in beating back the hammer of repentance. Only this sin doth distinguish between the sins of the elect and the reprobate. There is no other into which the child of God may not fall, but into this he cannot. As the Lord said to Abimelech, 
h Gen. 20.6.  I kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne: So may I say truly, The Lord keeps all his servants that they cannot fall into this sin. Their spiritual building may by diverse temptations be sore shaken and battered, but the same can never be utterly demolished, because they have laid their foundation upon the unmoveable rock. Are there any here that would gladly be assured in their souls, that they are free from this sin (as I know by ample experience, that tender hearts are apt to entertain troublesome fears) hearken then unto me, and I will give you in a few words a most infallible direction for your assurance. Examine yourselves, and search your hearts, if you have faith to believe God's promises, Repentance to bewail your sins, assure yourselves you are free, you are fare from the committing of this sin against the holy Ghost. The force of faith our Saviour shows in the fift of john, with a double asseveration for confirmation thereof. 
i john 5.25.  Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation. 
k August. in Psal. 205. Oppugnat diabolus▪ non expugnat.  He that gets the fort of faith shall be safe, as Saint Augustine saith; Satan may assault him, he can never subdue him. The woman with the bloody issue may be a comfortable instance in this respect. 
l Mark. 5.33.  She came trembling, and said, If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be safe. It is good when the heart speaks rather than the tongue. But what said she? If I may but touch, a weak action, the hem of his garment, the remotest part, with a trembling hand, a feeble apprehension, yet says she, If I may do this I shall be whole. So be you assured, that if you can lay hold upon Christ jesus, with the hand of a true faith, though it be feeble, virtue shall come forth of his wounds to cure the wounds of your souls, and the bloody issue of your sins. When the man in the Gospel 
m Mark 9  brought unto Christ his son possessed with a dumb spirit, whom the Disciples could not cast out, he besought him thus, If thou canst do any thing, 
Vers. 22.  help us, and have compassion upon us. To whom our Saviour answered, If thou canst believe, 
Vers. 23.  all things are possible to him that believeth. If thou canst saith the poor man; nay, if thou canst saith our blessed Saviour. If the man have belief in Christ, than Christ hath relief for the man, and so may I say to you, beloved; If you have grace to believe, then have you not so sinned against grace and mercy, but that the Lord hath plentiful redemption for you in store. Christ jesus himself calls you, the Church exhorts you, the spirit of God invites you, to take the pardon for your sins and the pawn of your inheritance. The spirit and the spouse saith come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is a thirst come, and let whosoever will take of the water of life 
n Reuel. 22.17.  freely. Behold here is that Aqua coelestis, that whosoever tasteth of, he shall never thirst any more; here is that Aqua 
o john 4.14.  vitae, which whosoever takes and drink he shall never see death, Yea though he were dead, yet shall it restore him to 
p john 11.25.  life. Therefore I may say to every Christian believer, as our Saviour said to the woman os Canaan, 
q Mat. 15.28.  O woman great is thy faith; be it unto thee as thou desirest.  
But for as much as diverse delude themselves with a vain conceit of that Faith they have not, and others are dismayed because they doubt of their Faith which sometimes they feel not, therefore I must further exhort every one of you to try your hearts and examine your lives concerning your repentance. For that gracious promise shall ever be found yea and Amen. That he which is sound and seriously penitent, so that he turn away from his evil ways, he shall not die but live. 
r Ezek. 18.22.  Yea for the assurance of this, you have the Lords oath, 
s Ezek. 33.11.  As I live saith the Lord, I delight not in the death of a sinner.  

t Psal. 51.15.  The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, the Lord will not despise; It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a sacrifice, but sacrifices, because it is instar omnium, in stead of all, as Tremelius truly saith: Which whensoever we offer up, the Lord smells a savour of mercy and compassion, as he smelled a savour of rest in the sacrifice of 
n Gen. 8.21.  Noah. O bring then this sacrifice to the Lords sacred Altar, and behold you shall always find the door of his mercy open to receive you, and the arms of his compassion stretched out to embrace you, as the prodigal child found at his return, of whom Saint Ambrose saith, filius timet convitium, pater adornat convivium. The son feared some sharp reproof, but the father prepared a dainty banquet. When Nathan reproved David for his 
o 2 Sam. 24.10  sins, it is said that David's heart did scourge him: A fit Metaphor to express the nature of Repentance, which is flagellum peccati, even the scourge of sin, which is flagellum animae, the scourge of the Soul. Do your heart's smart and smite you, and are your Souls troubled for your sins? be not dismayed: For as the Angel troubled the Pool of Bethesda, for the curing of the diseased: So God's blessed spirit of compunction hath been with you and troubled your souls for your cure and consolation. To conclude therefore, if all that I have now spoken hath wrought in you an indignation and dislike of yourselves, and a detestation and loathing of your sins, with an earnest and a resolute purpose to banish and abandon them: Then dare I be bold to pronounce that you are free from this sin against the holy Ghost, yea, the God of heaven hath thereby sealed you a pardon for all your sins; Though they were as crimson, they shall be made white as snow, though they were red as scarlet, they shall be as white as Wool. Which mercy that we may obtain, let us humble ourselves in Prayer.    

Let us pray.  
O Lord our God, who art able to preserve us blameless, and to present us faultless before thy glory with joy, even for thy tender mercy's sake defend us from this dreadful sin of Apostasy. Keep us by thy power that we fall not, restore us by thy mercy when we are fallen, preserve us by thy grace that we never finally fall away. O let not the gates of thy mercy be shut upon us: neither suffer the gates of hell to prevail against us: But grant good Lord, that albeit our frail nature cannot obtain an absolute freedom from sins of infirmity yet we may never set ourselves against heaven, or sin with a high hand. Renew a right spirit within us, that we may bewail our sins; Take not thy holy spirit from us, that we may reform our lives: Establish us with thy free spirit, that we may be confirmed in thy truth. That being effectually sanctified in the kingdom of grace, we may be eternally blessed in the kingdom of glory, through the merits and mediation of jesus Christ, our alone and all-sufficient Saviour, to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, three persons and one eternal God, let all praise, power and dominion be ascribed by all thy servants, both men and Angels, this day and for ever Amen. AMEN.  
FINIS.   

THE CHRISTIAN PETITIONER. Showing how we must sue in the Courts of HEAVEN, both for Reward and Remission. A Sermon Preached at OXFORD, the seaventh day of july, being the Act Sunday.  
By JOHN DENISON Doctor of Divinity, and one of his Majesty's chaplain.  
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the greene-Dragon in Paul's Churchyard. 1620.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT OXFORD, the 7. of july being the Act Sunday.  NEHEMIAH. 13.22. 
Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and pardon me according to thy great mercy.  
divers writers, both divine and humane (Right reverend, Right Worshipful & well-beloved in Christ jesus) do very fitly compare both evil men, and manners, in Civil and Christian government, to bad humours in the body, and the Magistrate to the Physician, to whom the cure thereof doth belong. Now as the soundest bodies have their bad humours, which must be purged; so the best governed Commonwealths and States do in time grow subject to corruptions, which must be redressed. The truth of this is most apparent in this present Scripture; For Nehemiah coming by Artaxerxes warrant to the government of jerusalem, found the house of God profaned by Eliashib, who of sacred structures had built a Chamber for Tobiah his kinsman. This abuse, as it grieved Nehemiah sore, so did he like a worthy Magistrate redress it; and then came, not to king Artaxerxes, but to the King of Kings, to whom especially he had done that service, saying, as it is in the fourteenth verse, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and blot not out the kindness I have showed to the house of my God. Again, as he found God's sanctuary polluted, so did he find his Sabbath profaned; for whereas almighty God had consecrated that day to a spiritual Mart, there were some who had employed it in carnal Merchandise, where Nehemiah having reproved the delinquents. and reform the abuse, comes with a new Petition to the Lord of the Sabbath, saying, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and pardon me according to thy great mercy.  
Of whose speeches, I may fitly use Bernard's words concerning Saint Paul, Sic universa depromit, 
Super illa verba, Rom. 14.17. Serm 2.  & sic intonat spiritu, & virtute, ut in serie ordinem, in sensu plenitudinem, in utroque connexionem mirabiliter extendat. In such a powerful and pithy manner doth he utter his words, that you may behold in his method, order; in his matter, copy: and in both an admirable connexion. Which that we may the better observe, we will consider the words.  


1. First, in their excellent connexion, and therein I note. 

1. A notable harmony.  
2. A natural precedency.    
2. According to their evident distribution, & therein I observe a double petition. 

1. The one put up in the Lord's Court of Exchequer. Remember me, O my God, concerning this. Wherein I note. 

1. The subject. What he doth desire. Remember me.  
2. The object, of whom he doth desire it, O my God.  
3. The motive, why he doth desire it. Concerning this.    
2. The other in the Court of Requests, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. Where I note. 

1 The matter he desires to be granted. Pardon me.  
2 The manner how he desires to have it effected. According to thy great mercy.        

The Harmony.  
AS skilful Physicians do so commix their medicines, that whilst they comfort the stomach, they may not inflame the Liver; And as good builders will have care, that in raising one part of the house, they do not cast down another: so doth worthy Nehemiah, (a singular pattern of piety and wisdom) in these his Petitions. For whilst he prepareth a cordial anodyne, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, lest the same might puff him up, he mixeth with it this corroding plaster, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. Whilst he raiseth the Fort of his confidence, in the expectation of a blessed reward, he lays the foundation thereof upon an humble conceit. Thus must we unite our virtues in a golden chain, 
2 Pet. 1.5.  as Saint Peter exhorteth, and see that our actions do symbolise, like the elements in compounded bodies, as the Philosopher speaketh. I may truly say of these two Petitions, that here is in them concordia discors; Yet like different ingrediences, they make a sovereign medicine, like discordant notes in Music, they yield an excellent harmony, and consort with David's ditty in the hundreth and first Psalm, 
Psal. 101.1.  I will sing of mercy and judgement, to thee O Lord will I sing. For here is a strain of mercy, and a strain of judgement, and both sung to the Lord. To come with the first strain alone, Remember me, would suppose too much presumption; to come with the other only Pardon me, might argue a total neglect of a Christian conversation; but being both united they are like sweet flowers bound up together, and yield a delicate smell, they are like the present carried by jacobs' Sons into Egypt, 
Gen. 43.11.  they find gracious acceptance. Me●●re in danger (saith Saint Augustine) sperando, 
Aug. Tract. 33. in johan.  & desperando. Some fall by presumption, and some are cast down by desperation; but here is a preservative against both that Scylla and Charybdis. It is Satan's usual practice, having himself passed through great extremes (as being cast down from heaven to hell, and changed from a glorious Angel to a damned spirit) still to be labouring men to extremes, 
Zeph. 1.12.  If he cannot make them frozen in their dregges, like the Israelites, he will seek to possess them with too fiery spirits, as he did the Disciples, 
Luke 9.54.  he will either seduce men by preciseness, even to needless contention, or induce them to profaneness in a wicked conversation; either work them to lose behaviour with the filthy Libertine, or to vain ostentation with the vaunting Pharisee. But there is a golden mean to be kept between these extremes, and happy is he, who with worthy Nehemiah can find it. He that will sail safely, must aswell look to the balase of his Ship, as to his sails; Faith and Hope are the sails, Fear and Reverence the balase of the soul. Faith hoiseth up sail, and maketh forth for the prize, and price of the high calling, 
Phil. 3.14.  calling for her reward, Remember me, O my God, concerning this; Fear and Reverence do moderate her pace, lest she dash against the rocks of presumption, and cryeth, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. Thus shall you see all God's servants sailing towards the haven of eternal bliss, of whom Saint Paul is a notable precedent; 
Rom. 7.25.  In my mind I serve the law of God, but in my flesh the law of sin In my mind I serve the law of God, here cometh in, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. But in my flesh the law of sin, here cometh in, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. As the unregenerate man, being totally transported to vanity and iniquity, hath nothing to say but only pardon me; so the most sanctified servants of God, so long as they carry about this mass of corruption, having a double motion, like the lower spheres, the one of grace, the other of nature, as they have some thing to ask reward for, so have they something to crave pardon for. If therefore at any time your minds be dejected with a sense of your frailties, get the testimony of a good conscience, that you have seriously and sincerely inclined yourselves to the service of God, so may you say with comfort, Remember me, O my God, concerning this: and if with the Swan you begin to swell, in viewing the feathers of your imperfect perfections, cast down your eyes upon the black feet of your many infirmities, and that shall make you say in humility, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. This, if you be the Lords servants, will be the mixture of your actions; this, if you come into the Lord's Court, must be the tenor of your Petitions.   

The Precedency.  
Again, as these Petitions do yield an excellent harmony, so must we note their natural Precedency: First, Remember me, then pardon me. For every one should endeavour a restraint of sin, before the remedy, and propound to himself a reward of piety, before a pardon for infirmity. We must first affect by our desires, and effect by our endeavours, that which may embolden us to say, Remember me, O my God, concerning this; and then, wherein our frail endeavours come too short of the mark, we may opportunely supplicate the eternal Majesty, with the Petition following, Pardon me according to thy great mercy. This is Saint john's method for holy conversation, My little Babes, 
1 joh. 2.1.  these things I writ unto you that you sinne not: but if any man sin, we have an Advocate, jesus Christ the righteous. Here the first and fundamental care of a Christian, must be to avoid the sin, and only after the surprisal, must he look towards the Mercy seat, and have recourse to the gracious Advocate Christ jesus. The careful Physician will rather use preserving antidotes to prevent a disease, than healing medicines to cure it; the industrious sailer will rather endeavour to keep the water out of the Ship, then labour to pump it out: So the discreet Christian must rather prevent the committing of an offence, then crave pardon for the committing of it, as Cato the Censor said of Aulus Albinus in Aulus Gellius, 
Awl Gell. noct. Att. lib. 11. ca 8  he must rather forth of his industry expect a reward with worthy Nehemiah, then forth of his negligence look for an indulgence with the unthrifty servant, 
Mat. 25.  salomon's counsel to a surety is fit for a sinner, If thou have stricken hands with a stranger, 
Prou. 6.1.  and art ensnared, make haste to deliver thyself, but his method of safety is more notable, 
Pro. 17.18.  Touch not the hand, become not surety for another. If sin and Satan have ensnared thee, then free thyself by Repentance, but if thou be free, avoid the snare by prevention. 
Eccles. 21.2.  First fly from sin as from a Serpent, as the Son of Syrach exhorteth, but if thou hast taken this Serpent into thy hand, rest not till like Moses Serpent it be turned into a rod again, to scourge thy soul with remorse; But first (I say) fly from it, 
Pro. 14.27.  That the fear of the Lord may be a well spring of life, to avoid the snares of death. Thus was Adam forewarned, that he might be fore-armed, not for cure, but for prevention. For he had before his fall only that commination as a defensative, 
Genes. 2.17.  In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt dye the death, and not till after his fall that consolation; 
Genes. 3.15.  The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent. Which maketh me to disclaim that conceit of learned Zanchius, who supposeth, that Adam was cast into a sleep, 
De oper. Dei. De create. hominis. lib. 1. cap. 1.  that so he might be informed concerning the spiritual marriage of Christ and his Church. For this had been to discover the remedy, before a sense of the misery, and to offer an occasion of precipitation, rather than a means of prevention. The good Soldier, when he goeth into the field, hath his mind upon weapons, not upon wounds, and propoundeth to himself a reward of victory by the hand of his General, rather than the benefit of cure by the hand of his Surgeon: so saith Saint Augustine, 
August. hom. 27. inter. 50.  hostem praesentem evade; So doth Saint Paul, Ephes. 6. most amply and excellently stir up every one that will be a Soldier in Christ's Camp, 
Ephes. 6.11.17  to take unto him the whole armour of God, to resist the Devil, and to withstand his assaults, and so to manage the combat, that he meditate nothing but the conquest. It is one of Satan's especial stratagems, to delude poor sinners with a preposterous course, persuading them lo lift up their eyes to the hand of mercy, to embolden them to sin, when they should behold the arm of justice, to prevent the offence. And, in truth, it is the world's general error, whereby millions of Christians do betray their souls into the hands of the Devil; whilst the fore-conceipt of remission is made by them a plaster of presumption; their account of impunity is a path to impiety, and the hope of a pardon hindereth them from the expectation of a reward. For when they are tempted, Attendunt ad misericordiam, 
Aug. in Psa. 100  non timent iudiciam. They do not consider what danger they incur by yielding, and what benefit they might have by victory, but presently they think upon God's mercy; and they esteem their sins, as Lot said of Zoar, 
Genes. 19.20.  Is not this a little one, and my soul shall live. They say with Naaman, even before they come into the house of Rimmon, God be merciful unto me concerning this. 
2 Reg. 5.18.  Thus do they look up to the brazen Serpent, before their souls have been stung with the fiery Serpent, and they add presumption to their transgression.  
To conclude this point. Behold here, and detest the odious, and preposterous course of the Romanists, who give Absolution upon intended villainies, and grant pardons and indulgences for pains due to future sins. What is this (I pray you) but to open a gate and a gap to all abomination, and to give poor souls free passage to hell? And observe, I beseech you, this safe and saving method; when you are tempted to sin, set before you the wrath of God, which is like a flaming fire, and remember, that tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that sinneth. 
Rom. 2.9.  When you are drowsy in God's service, think upon the blessed recompense of reward, 
Rom. 2.10.  and consider that to them, Who by continuance in well-doing seek glory, and honour, and immortality, shall be everlasting life, that the one may be a happy retentive from vice, the other a powerful motive to virtue. And be you assured of this, that he which will not apply the plaster of grace to prevent sin, shall with more difficulty obtain the salve of mercy to cure it; he that hath not endeavoured to bring something into the Lord's Exchequer for his reward, shall hardly find favour in his Court of Requests, for the obtaining of a pardon. And so much for the Connexion of these words.   

The Subject.  
REmember me. When almighty God appeared, and spoke to the Israelites upon mount Sinai, as we read in the twentieth of Exodus, 
Exod. 10.19.  they being not able to endure that manifestation of his Majesty, desired the ministry of man. The same infirmity which changed the ministry, changed also the style of the Almighty, according to that in the sixth to the Romans, I speak to you after the manner of men, 
Rom. 6.19.  because of the weakness of your flesh. As the Nurse speaketh to her little Babes in an Infant's language, so doth almighty God speak to us, not having so much regard to strict propriety, as our shallow capacity, using such phrases as this, of his forgetting, calling to his remembrance, and the like, infinite places throughout the passages of sacred Scripture: of which kind of speeches chrysostom saith well, If we consider the eternal Majesty, indignum fuisset hoc verbum: this speech had been unfit, but if we remember our infirmity, Apposite est dictum, it was spoken very fitly. The works of God are incomprehensible, therefore the holy Ghost speaketh to us of earthly matters in humane phrases, wherewith we are acquainted, to acquaint us with heavenly, from which we are estranged. It is enough that the patiented receive cure, though he conceive not the property of every ingredience in his medicine; If we be made partakers of the influence of grace, it is well for us, though we know not the nature of every divine constellation; If God do so remember us, that he do us good, let him express it in what phrase he will, let him effect it by what means he will: we must acknowledge his wisdom, and rejoice in his favour. Men, when they remember their friends, will do them good, God when he doth his friends good, is said to remember them. For as in the work of creation, there went with God's dixit his benedixit, and with his ordinavit his ornavit, so in the administration of all things with his remembrance, there goeth a Recompense, and with his regard a Reward. But what? is oblivion incident to that allseeing and all-searching spirit, who is able, even uno actu, in one instant, to take exact and perfect notice of every object, action, and cogitation in the world? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? must he be put in mind of his servants, that Nehemiah here saith, Remember me? Nothing less; for though a woman should forget the child of her womb, (which is so unnatural, that it is almost impossible,) yet will not God forget his children. 
Esay 49.15.  If all kindness and compassion were lost in Women, Men and Angels, yet might it be found in our gracious God. 
Plini hist. nat. lib. 7. cap. 24.  Cyrus in Pliny is famous for his strength of memory, being able to call all his Soldiers by their names; but what is that to the exact and infinite memory of almighty God, 
Psal. 147.4.  Who telleth the number of the Stars, and calleth them all by their names? This faculty even in Angels, compared with God, is but as a Star, in Man as a Candle to the glorious Sun. Yea, what proposition is there between things finite and infinite? When King Assuerus could not sleep, he caused the Chronicles to be turned over, where he found the good service of Mardochai recorded, 
Hest 6.1.  and he rewarded it. 
Psol 121.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor fleepe. He keepeth a Register, 
Malach. 3.16.  and a book of Remembrance is written before him, for them that fear the Lord. And in this Chronicle, all our good service, even every action of obedience is recorded, that it may be rewarded. When men are careful to remember any thing, they use to put some ring, or some such other thing upon their finger, or by some such other means to revive and relieve the memory: so the Lord doth grave his children upon the palms of his hands, 
Esa. 49.16.  that he may not forget them. And in this sense doth Cassiodorus expound that place in the eight of the Canticles, 
Cant. 8.6.  Set me as a seal upon thy heart, & a signet upon thine arm. Behold, such actions and attributes are ascribed to almighty God, not that he needs any thing to assist his infinite memory, but all this is to enlighten our shallow conceit, and to help our great infirmity; 
Phil. 4.6.  and therefore whereas S. Paul biddeth us in all things make known our case to God: S. Augustine 
Aug. Epist. 121.  by way of explication, saith, Non Deo, sed nobis, Not so much to inform God concerning our wants, as to confirm ourselves in expectation of a supply. Thus the remembrance of God's careful remembrance must yield us comfort, and the meditation of his gracious favour, should be a check to our diffidence, a prop to our confidence, and a motive to obedience. Doth God grave us upon his hands, set us as a seal upon his heart, and a signet upon his arm, and yet we doubt whether he doth remember us? Doth God take notice of the Israelites grievances in Egypt? 
Exod. 3.9.  Doth he look upon them through the pillar of fire; 
Exod. 14.24.  and whilst they are marching, is marshalling their affairs, making the sea a Gallery, and the cloudy pillar a Canopy unto them, and yet we doubt whether he doth regard us? How justly do we incur that weighty reproof of the Disciples, 
Mat. 6.30.8.26  O ye of little faith? How worthily do we deserve to be styled with the Israelites, A faithless generation? 
Psal. 78.9.  But let us look up to the eye of God's providence, and the hand of his protection; let the Remembrance of his care be the Centre of our Confidence, and let us evermore cast forth the holy Anchor of our constant hope in this fair haven. If we be like the wounded man by the high way side, whom neither Priest nor Levite regarded, 
Luke 10.  like poor Lazarus at the rich man's gate, 
Luke 16.  whom no man remembered, or like the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, whom no man relieved; Yet let us remember, 
john 5.  that Christ jesus is our gracious remembrancer in heaven. 
Luk. 23.42, 43  Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom, saith the penitent Thief; This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise, saith our blessed Saviour. Behold, he that had not one word of defence for himself, or rebuke for his enemies, hath a comfortable answer for a distressed Soul. When Lazarus was sick, as we read in the eleventh of john, 
joh. 11.3.  his sisters sent to our Saviour this message, Behold he whom thou lovest is sick; 
Aug. in joan. Tract. 49.  Non dixerunt veni (saith S. Augustine) amanti tantummodo nunciandum fuit: They needed not to desire his presence, or crave relief, it was sufficient to relate their wants, because Christ loved Lazarus. 
jude verse 21.  Let us keep ourselves in the love of God, as Saint jude exhorteth, then let our prayers be our messengers to heaven, and we shall find that we are not forgotten. If we be not presently relieved, let us not fear that we are utterly neglected, distulit sanare ut posset resuscitare (as Saint Augustine saith) Christ deferred to restore Lazarus to health, because he meant to raise him up from death. God's suspending of his present favour, is commonly the preparing of a greater blessing; O tarry the Lords leisure then, wait patiently with Noah: so shall your prayers, sent forth of a sanctified heart, return from heaven with a comfortable echo unto your souls, like Noah's Dove with an olive branch into the Ark. 
job. 1.  Doth job serve God for naught? saith Satan, why no, nor shall any else. Let us bring in our bills into his Court, and we shall receive present pay: Christ hath it ready in his hand; Behold (saith he) I come shortly, 
Reuel. 22.12.  and my reward is with me, to give every one according to his works. Bellarmine in his fift book De iustificatione and eight Chapter, picketh a needless quarrel against Caluin: Negare videtur operandum esse intuitu mercedis. Caluin (saith he) seemeth to deny that the view of reward should stir us up to good works, but this is a most injurious imputation: For Caluin only denieth, that the view of the reward should be our principal motive to good works, which is most true. For the glory of God must be the primum mobile of our obedience. The sanctified Christian would serve God (though not so cheerfully) albeit no reward were promised, though none were propounded. As light substances by a certain natural property do ascend, whereas ponderous do descend; so the servants of God being made partakers of the divine nature (as Saint Peter speaketh) have as it were, 
2. Pet. 1.4.  a natural inclination to divine actions. 
Rom. 8.14.  Those that are led by the spirit of God, can run the way of God's commandments. 
Psal. 116.32. Quantò purius & coelo vicinius elementum, tanto magis obedit motui coeli.  The purer and nearer to the heavens the Element is, the more doth it incline to the motion of the heavens: So the nearer we come to the nature of God, the more propensly are we inclined to the motions of his blessed spirit. If our sanctification were as total as it is universal, we needed not so much as the Cords of 
Hos. 11.4.  men, even the bands of love to lead us, much less the thunderbolts of God's judgements to terrify us; but the same being only in part, though in every part, we have need of Gods two spurs, Promises and Threaten, to excite us. Further, may it please you to observe, that (Whatsoever our condition be) it is not unlawful in the actions of obedience, whilst we seek the advancement of God's glory, to have an eye to our own eternal comfort: As here Nehemiah whilst he remembreth God in sincere obedience, desireth God to remember him by a gracious recompense: For diverse subordinate causes may concur with the principal as so many entertayses with the main posts, in supporting the house. Moses that excellent servant of God looked to the recompense of the reward. 
Heb. 11.24.  Saint Paul proposed to himself, 
2. Tim. 4.  The Crown of righteousness. Yea our blessed Saviour had an eye to the glory that was set before him. 
Heb. 12.2.  How much more than had we need of the view of reward, that the same may be as a hand to wind up the plummets, and to continue the motion of our obedience. 
a Qui arat, arat ut metat; qui pugnat, pugnat ut vincat, etc. Chrysost. op. imperf. hom. 42. 1. Cor. 9.10.  chrysostom saith very well to this purpose, alluding to Saint Paul's words, Therefore do we sow that we may reap, fight that we may conquer, and conquer that we may be crowned.  
Thus is it lawful both at the end and entrance of our works to expect and call for our reward, at the hands of our gracious God, to whom we have tendered our service, as here Nehemiah doth, saying. Remember me, O my God.   

The Object.  

Psal. 123.  O My God] Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their Masters, so do the faithful look up to the Lords hand of direction, and benediction. 
Exod. 29.  The Cherubins still do cast their eyes upon the Mercy seat, and their Elogium is, 
Psal. 103.  ye Angels that do his will: Yea, Christ himself professeth that he came not to do his own will, but the will of God, and to finish his work. Thus sanctified men, 
john 4. & 6.  the glorious Angels, and the most blessed Son of God, do all teach us to tender our service to God, and to consecrate our actions to his glory. As the heavens in their circular course return to the same point, where they began. As created substances resolve into their materiam primam, out of which they were framed, and as the river's return, paying tribute to the Ocean, whence they received their streams: so all our gracious actions must begin in God, and end in him; as they flow from the Fountain of his Grace, so must they fall into the Ocean of his glory, according to the Apostles conclusion in the eleventh to the Romans, 
Rom. 11. vlt.  Of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever, Amen.  
The Lord is the soul's Centre (without whom she is like Noah's Dove without rest) and his glory must be the ultimus terminus of our cogitations and actions. 
Mat. 5.16.  Therefore must our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our heavenly Father. So shall he who is the Creator and Centre of the Soul, be also the rewarder of the same, honouring us whilst we honour him.  
All our service is lost, which with the Pharisees we tender only to men, but that shall obtain an immortal reward which is consecrated to God, who will answer our humble Petition with that gracious remuneration, 
Mat. 25.23.  Euge bone serve, Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into thy master's joy. The due consideration of this, maketh Nehemiah stand forth, and offer his Petition to the Lord, not timerously quasi Elephanto stipem, 
Sueton. in vita Aug. Caesaris. Cap. 53.  as Augustus Caesar said, but with singular confidence, claims an especial interest in God's favour, saying not only, O God, but O my God. But may I not take up Saint Paul's demand; 
Rom. 3.29.  Is God the God of the jews only? Is he only Nehemiahs' God? Will he engross God's favour to himself alone? chrysostom answereth this very well, 
Chrys. in Genes. Hom. 39  The servants of God (saith he) speak thus, Non concludentes eius Dominium, sed amorem amensum declarantes: They do not hereby confine Gods boundless sovereignty, but rather express his exceeding love and mercy. This is the usual tenor of Saint Paul's gratulations throughout his Epistles, 
Rom. 1.8.  
1 Cor. 1.4. Phil. 1.3.  I thank my God. By which affix he plainly showeth, that his hope is firmly fixed in God. Thus doth David in many places, but especially in the two and twentieth Psalm, where he doth ingeminate the Phrase, as it were doubling his files, crying out, My God, 
Psal. 22.1.  My God, why hast thou forsaken me? 
Chrys. ubi supr.  Yea, thus all the servants of God, as chrysostom saith, do forth of their zealous affection appropriate God to themselves; and reason. For though all the world be the Lords vassals, yet is he the God of the faithful in a threefold special respect, as the Schoolman saith. 
Aquin. super Rom. 1.  First, secundum specialem curam, Secondly, secundum specialem cultum, Thirdly, secundum speciale praemium. Secundum specialem curam, In respect of his especial care and providence, 
Psal. 34.15.  For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. 
Genes. 19  When fire and brimstone turned Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, the Lord delivered righteous Lot. 
Exod. 9.23.  When the dreadful fire & hail did burn and batter Egypt in the land of Goshen, in the habitation of Israel there was no hail. When the general deluge made the world a fish-pool, 
Gen. 6.8.  Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Lo, thus shall the man be blest whom God will favour. Secundum specialem cultum, In respect of their especial homage and religious service they do to God. 
August. Retract. lib. 1. cap. 13.  For Religio, (as Saint Augustine, after Lactantius retracting his own etymon, saith) is a religando, because it is the bond of that mutual league betwixt God and Man, I will be their God, 
jerem. 31.1.  and they shall be my people. In this sense God is called the God of Abraham, and the God of Israel; God chooseth to himself the man that is godly. As for the wicked, 
Psal. 4.3.  and workers of iniquity, who make their chests their Temples, their backs their Altars, their bellies their Gods, that they may sacrifice unto the same their Pride, their Covetousness and Luxury, the Lord will profess concerning them. 
Mat. 7.23.  Depart from me I know ye not. Secundum speciale praemium, In respect of his especial reward; for so he saith to Abraham, of whom he had made an especial choice, Ego sum merces tua admodum ampla, 
Genes. 15.1.  I am thy exceeding great reward. Well might the Lord call his reward multam & valdè multam, 
Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 36.  exceeding much and many, as chrysostom saith: 
Psal. 34.10.  For they that fear God want nothing that is good. Whether it be Paul, or Apollo's, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death▪ Whether it be things present, 
1 Cor. 3.22.23  or things to come, they are all yours, because you are Christ's, and Christ is Gods. Seeing then that God is the God of the faithful, in these especial respects, let every faithful Christian in especial manner apply God to himself, and say with Thomas in the twentieth of john, 
john 20.28.  My Lord and my God. This particular application the Romanists cannot abide, they count it vain presumption, and why? because men of all sorts, though very different in conversation, will appropriate God to themselves, when some of them must needs be deceived. Their argument is like this, Fools and mad men may be deceived in apparent truths, therefore wise and judicious may. The Frantic Athenian was ready to arrest for his own every ship that arrived, therefore no sober minded Merchant knew his own. If our expectation of reward were grounded upon merits, as the Papists is, we might justly stagger as they do, 
Nemo absque revelatione certò scire potest se habere vera merita. Bellar. de justific. lib. 5. cap. 7.  (for Bellarmine confesseth, that no man without especial revelation, can be sure that he hath true merits:) but for as much as our hope hath her dependence upon God's mercy, and Christ's merits, we may without wavering approach before the throne of grace, 
Rom. 8.  and cry Abba Father. Surely I should the less marvel at this Romish doctrine, 
Bellarm de Purgat. lib. 2. cap. 4.  if Bellarmine and other Papists did not teach, that the souls in Purgatory have an infallible certainty of their salvation. 
Rhem. Annot. in Apoc. 14.  For, admitting a Purgatory, no probable, no possible reason can be given, how they should come by this certainty, except they be more beholding for the same to the infernal spirits, than they have been to their wretched teachers. But leaving them to their vanities, let us find by a diligent scrutiny, that we have the spirit of God witnessing with our spirits, 
Rom. 8.16.  that we are the sons of God, as the Apostle speaketh. For than may we say with Saint Augustine, 
Augustin. Psal. 32.  Dicat anima mea, Deus meus es tu, qui dicit animae meae salus tua sum. Seeing that God saith to my soul: I am thy salvation, let my soul reflect upon God again, and say thou art my God. Seeing that Christ hath made us a plaster of his precious blood, let us apply the same to our wounded souls; seeing he hath procured our pardon, let us get it under the great seal of his blessed Spirit; This is his will, who having given us the legacy of eternal life by his last Testament, would have the same severally transcribed by the preaching of the word, and particularly sealed to us by the blessed Sacrament. Believe me my brethren, It is no confused apprehension of God's mercy, that can yield any sound comfort. But as when Elizeus applied his eyes to the child's eyes, his hands to his hands, 
2 Reg. 4.  and his mouth to his mouth, than the child revived. So the particular application of Christ's merits hath life in it, it reviveth our dead souls, and relieveth our daunted spirits. Hence we have the benefits of protection, of benediction, of consolation; Christ jesus sendeth that message to us, Go to my brethren, and say unto them, 
joh. 20.17.  I send to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God. We make our boast of God all the day long. 
Psal. 44.9.  Yea, hence it is that we approach with boldness into his glorious presence, calling for the reward of our obedience with Nehemiah; Remember me, O my God, concerning this.   

The Motive.  
COncerning this] That is in the hypothesis, concerning the observation and sanctification of the Sabbath, a matter of singular moment, a duty of great necessity. The four Commandments of the first Table are most divine, like the four streams in Paradise, whereof this is the last, but not the least, like joseph, who being the youngest, provided for his elder brethren. For so is this present fourth Commandment a means of the better observation of the three precedent. It standeth between the two tables, like the sensus communis, between the external and internal senses, and is serviceable to both. I may truly say, that where the Sabbath is not sanctified, there is neither a sound Religion, nor a Christian conversation to be expected. How God esteemeth the strict sanctification of the Sabbath, may appear by the exact delivery of the Commandment. For he hath fenced it about like mount Sinai, 
Exod. 19.12.  with her marks and bounds at the delivery of the law, that no profaneness might approach near unto it. First, by his watchword, Remember; Secondly, by his bounty, Six days thou shalt labour, and do all that thou hast to do. Thirdly, by his sovereignty, It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. Fourthly, by the latitude, Thou, thy Son, thy Daughter, thy manservant, thy maidservant, the Stranger that is within thy gates, must sanctify it. Fiftly, by his example, The Lord rested the seaventh day. Lastly, by his benediction, He blessed and sanctified it. The six marks are like the six water-pots in the second of john, Fill them up to the brim with a holy observation, then draw out and carry to the Master of the Feast, even to jesus Christ, the Lord of the new Sabbath. Remember, I say, to sanctify the Lords Sabbath, and then may you say with confidence, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. Yea, the same shall be unto you a pledge of the eternal Sabbath in the Kingdom of heaven, which shall be a day without evening, and shall yield you rest without labour, and joy without ending.  
When Almighty God had made the heavens and earth, he placed Men and Angels in the same as his Tenants, to bring him in the rent of obedience: And though we be much impoverished in our spiritual estate, and the graces of God confiscate through Adam's fall, we must every one of us bring in something to the Lords Exchequer, like the Israelites to the Tabernacle, of which we may say, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. 
Genes. 22.  When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac upon mount Moriah; When Moses forsook the pomp of Pharaohs Court to sustain affliction with God's people; 
Heb. 11.  
1 Reg. 18.  When Obadiah hide and relieved the Lords Prophets; When job 
job 31.  caused the loins of the poor to bless him; When Marry Magdalen washed our Saviour's feet, 
Luke 7.  and wiped them with the hairs of her head, every one of these had whereof he might say, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. Yea, 
Mat. 10.42.  he that gives but a cup of cold water for Christ's sake, may look for his reward: Behold what comfort shineth from hence to you Fathers and Brethren, who have spent your strength in the service of God, and the conversion of sinners, 
Dan. 12.3.  great is your reward in heaven; You shall shine as Stars in the firmament for ever and ever.  
What shall become of those vile wretches, who have devoted themselves to all villainies, and even sold themselves to work wickedness? These may conclude the acting of their wicked designs, without 
* So Tremel. doth well translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 1.11. impunè.  dread or danger of punishment, as it is in the first of the Proverbs; but assuredly all their foul acts must be remembered, and their impieties punished. As the Prayers and Alms of Cornelius did pierce the heavens for a blessed reward, 
Acts 10.4.  so the pride and luxury of Sodom did cry out thither for a dreadful revenge. 
Gen. 18.20.  Aswell the stony hearted men that scoffed at Christ, as the tender hearted women that wept for him, aswell those that buffeted him, as those that embalmed him, aswell he that spat in his face, as she that poured the box of ointment on his head, shall be remembered, the one indeed to their endless honour, the other to their perpetual shame and contempt. Yea, those that with the unfruitful servant have hid their talents: 
Mat. 25.25.  those that have been such niggards unto their own souls, that they have not prepared some acceptable service to present the Lord withal, whereof they might say, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, even concerning this they shall be remembered; For the Lord shall say of them, take and bind that unprofitable servant, and cast him into utter darkness; he shall say to them as Abraham said to Dives; 
Luke 16.  Son remember that thou hast in thy life time received thy pleasure; Now ne guttam, 
August.  qui ne micam; Thou which wouldst not give one crumb of bread to relieve poor Lazarus, shalt not have one drop of water to cool thy tongue. Many there are who by carnal projects, as building and purchasing for their posterity, think to make their houses famous, and their memories eternal, as David well observeth. 
Psal. 49.11.  These are like Nero, of whom the Historian saith; 
Sueton. in vita Neron. cap. 55.  Erat ei aeternitatis perpetuaeque famae cupido, sed inconsulta; He did affect eternal fame, but he took no wise course to effect it. It is like David's censure in the thirteenth Verse of that Psalm, This their way uttereth their foolishness. And no marvel, for God dealeth with them as the Ephesians dealt with Erostratus, who would be famous by burning the Temple of Diana; As they enacted a law, that no man should speak of Erostratus; so almighty God enacteth a law of oblivion against these carnal minded men, their memorial perisheth for ever. This land did once so overflow with charity to the Church, that the statute of Mortmain came in, like the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris to Babylon, 
Ita junius in Genes. 2. Solini errorem corrigens.  to prevent the rankness of the soil. But there came a time, when that statute repealed was, like Nilus set at liberty for the watering of Egypt. Though blear-eyed Leah be more fruitful than beautiful Rachel, Superstition commonly more sumptuous than true Religion? yet if you consider the Hospitals, Grammar Schools, our admirable Library, our Colleges builded, enlarged, and augmented with endowments, and other works of charity, since the light of the Gospel, blessed be God, we may well say that gedeon's fleece hath been watered aswell as his floor. 
judg. 6.  Our age hath yielded gracious Dorcases, who have been full of good works and almsdeeds: 
Acts 9  and worthy Centurions, who have loved our nation, 
Luk. 7.  and builded us Synagogues. All these instruments of God's glory may come with comfort into the Lord's Exchequer, and for every one of their worthy acts, may say, Remember me, O my God, concerning this. Though some, perhaps, will be ready to mutter forth with judas, 
john 12.4.  quorsum haec profusio? What needeth this waste? Yet others, I trust, will say with jacob, 
Genes. 17.  sit up and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. Surely our souls shall ever bless these worthies; both present and succeeding ages shall eternize their memorable acts, so long as the Gospel is preached here amongst us, which (I trust shall be so long as the world standeth. 
Mat. 26.13. ) This which they have done shall be spoken for a memorial of them; as our Saviour said concerning the Woman with the box of ointment. Their name is like a good ointment (as Solomon saith) the sweet perfume whereof, when they are gone forth of the room of this present world, shall be fresh and redolent, even to the children yet unborn. Yea, when timber, stones, and books shall all be worn and dissolved, the books of heaven shall be opened, 
Reuel. 20.12.  where all their monuments of charity are written in a most indelible Character, and shall be recompensed with an unualuable reward, even an eternal crown of glory.  
And all you who hear me at this day, let my counsel be acceptable unto you; get something, for which the Lord may remember you, and the remembrance whereof may be a comfort to you at the hour of death, provide with joseph in the time of plenty against the day of scarcity; 
john 9  the night cometh when no man can work. Be of Ulysses' mind in Euripides, 
Eurip. in Hecuba.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; Let me see my tomb honoured whilst I am alive. 
Rom 12.1. 2 Cor. 9.7.  God love's a living sacrifice, and a cheerful giver. Think with Titus Vespaan you have lost that day, wherein you have not done some good. O what a blessed hour shall that be, wherein your souls shall expire with Hezekias' words, I beseech thee, O Lord, 
Esay 38.3.  remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight? Then may you say with Deborah, 
judg. 5.21.  O my soul, thou hast marched valiantly. Yea, then may you say with David, 
Psal. 116.7.  return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath rewarded thee. Death is the world's strict doorkeeper, and will see, that as you brought nothing into the world, 
1 Tim. 6.7.  so you shall carry forth nothing again. Yet can he not hinder you from that happiness which the Oracle of heaven hath proclaimed, 
Reuel. 14.13.  Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, they rest from their labours, and their works follow them. Consider I beseech you, that only your good works, will be your companions to heaven, They shall be your honour in life, your comfort in death, and your crown at the last Resurrection: And so much for the first Petition.   

The second Petition. 1. The matter of it.  
PLutarch and diverse other Historians report of Manlius Torquatus, that when his son Manlius, 
Plutarch in vita Quint. Faebij. Max.  contrary to his Edict, had valiantly encountered, and slain an enemy, he first crowned him for his valour, and then beheaded him for his disobedience. So standeth the case between God and us; whilst he seethe something in us which may be rewarded, he findeth something also which deserveth to be punished. As Saint Augustine saith, 
Aug. in psal. 100  Nisi Deus per misericordiam parceret, non inveniret quos per iustitiam coronaret: Except God should spare us in mercy, he should find none whom he might crown in justice. This maketh Nehemiah, when he hath cried out, Remember me, O my God, concerning this, to add this next Petition, And pardon me according to thy great mercy. Desiring not to be Rewarded with young Manlius in strictness of justice, but as David prayeth, 
Psal. 103.4.  to be crowned with mercy and loving kindness. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted, 
Genes. 4.7.  saith the Lord to Kain? Or as Tremelius translateth it, Nònne erit remissio, shalt thou not be pardoned? The Hebrew word yields both significations, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  the present text doth challenge both; For God's Remission and his Remuneration, like Mercy and Truth must meet together, 
Psal. 85.10.  like Righteousness and Peace they must kiss each other. According to that of Ambrose, 
Ambros. lib. 7. in Luc.  Arbiter omnium dedit & pietati praemium, & infirmitati remedium, The judge of all the world hath provided both a reward for piety, and a remedy for infirmity. Thus Daniel cometh into the Lord's Court, where having deeply deplored the Israelites misery, and earnestly implored the Lords mercy, he knitteth up his Petition in this manner: 
Dan 9.18.  We do not present our supplications before thee (O God) for our own righteousness, but for thy great tender mercies. Thus job dareth not stand to his trial at the bar of God's justice, 
job 9.15.  but will call for a Psalm of mercy, and will supplicate his judge. Infinite are the places, throughout the passages of sacred Scripture, where the most sanctified servants of God do confess their infirmities, disclaim their merits, and appeal to God's mercies; and reason. For as S. Augustine saith, Woe to the most laudable life of men, if it be examined in strictness of justice. Suppose (beloved) we be not conscious to ourselves of any gross sins; that we have neither the crying sins of the Sodomites, 
Genes. 18.  nor the crimson sins of the Israelites, 
Esa. 1. Act. 8.  nor the bitter sins of Simon Magus; Yet alas many are the infirmities of our souls, many the deformities of our lives, yea many are our secret sins. In our best actions we scatter many imperfections, and still we fail, either in the end, the matter, or manner, or measure of our obedience. So that if our best actions should come to a strict trial, Lord, how ignorant would our knowledge be found? How froward our patience? How superficial our Repentance? How proud our Humility? How wavering our Hope? How frail our Faith? How cruel our Mercies? We may well say with David, 
Psal. 130.3.  If thou, O Lord, be extreme to mark what is done amiss, who can be able to stand? Vtique illud quis nullus est, 
Chrys. in ps. 130.  saith chrysostom, Surely, that who, is no body at all. job indeed in the vehemency of passion desireth to dispute his case with God; 
job. 23.4.  but upon cold blood God biddeth him gird up his loins, and arm himself with arguments. 
job. 40.2.  For he knoweth that job is not able to answer one of a thousand, but must come into the Lord's Court of Requests with this Petition. Pardon me according to thy great mercy.  
Pardon me] The Hebrew word Vecusah; being derived of Casah, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  to hide, doth very well express the manner and nature of our pardon. For according to the use of the word in the sacred Scriptures, it may have reference either to God's eye or his Act; His Eye, and then it noteth his connivance, like that in the seaventeenth of the Acts. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Act. 17.30.  God winked at. His Act, and then it implieth the covering of our sins, with the mantle of Christ's merits; 
Psal. 32.1.  and both import an absolute pardon, without relation, to merit, punishment, or satisfaction; and indeed it is as oposite to them, as the two tropicks are to another, as contrary as Fire is to Water. This Pardon is expressed in the Scripture with great variety of the like phrases. Sometime God is said to pass by our sins, Amos 8. To put them away, Esa 44. To cast them into the Sea, Mich. 7. To forget them, jerem. 31. Not to mention them, Ezech 18. To wash them away, Psalm. 51. To cast them behind his back, Esay 38. To cover them, Psal. 32. and to pardon them, as it is here, and in many other places. Thus God passeth by our sins, as though he saw them not. Putteth them away, that they hurt us not. Casteth them into the Sea, that they drown us not. Forgetteth them, so that he punisheth them not. Doth not mention them, as though they were not: washeth them away, that they defile us not: Casteth them behind his back, as though he regarded them not: Covers them, that they appear not, and pardons them that they condemn us not. Behold here an absolute pardon, for our singular consolation, and the Papists extreme confusion: For they depend upon a ridiculous pardon of the sin with reservation of the punishment, wherein they would make God an hypocrite like themselves, with their mental reservation: To whom I may say in daniel's words to Nabuchadnezzar; 
Dan. 4.16.  Let the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies: so let this pardon be to all treacherous and incendiary Papists, and the reservation of punishment to them who are enemies to the grace of God, and our gracious Sovereign. Miserable, O miserable were our condition, if our pardon were not absolute; For as one bad humour left unpurged may be the death of the body, one small cranny unstopped may be the drowning of the ship: so the least sin unpardoned must needs be the death, and drowning both of soul and body in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever. But blessed be God, 
Colos. 2.14.  we know that Christ jesus hath fully satisfied the justice of God, 
Reuel. 1.5.  canceled the bond of our debts, and washed us in his precious blood. He was condemned that we might be justified, he was punished that we might be pardoned, 
Bern. in Cant. Serm. 22.  Non gutta, sed unda sanguina largitèr per quinque partes corporis emanavit, as Bernard saith; There flowed out of five parts of his body, not drops, but even streams of blood, that with him might be plenteous redemption, and he might redeem Israel from all his sins. Avaunt therefore to the Merchants of Rome with their stained Merits, their super-arrogant works of supererogation, their blasphemous satisfactions to God. What needeth there a miserere, where there is a mereri? What need is there of mercy, where there is merit? A man may fitly say of these men, as Bernard speaketh of the boasting Pharisee, 
Bern Annunci. Domini, Serm. 3.  Nimirum plenus est, nec habet in eo gratia Dei locum, surely these men are so full of their merits, that they have no room for God's mercy.  
Again, how miserable is the condition of those men, who do daily run through as many gross sins, as there are signs in the Zodiac, yet have no power to find remorse, or seek for remission? and those who in stead of this humble Petition, Pardon me according to thy great mercy, do take up Kaines desperate complaint, My Sin is greater than can be pardoned. Fare, 
Gene. 4.13.  O fare be it from us, thus to abuse God's mercy. Let us be truly penitent for our sins, and then let us put up our Petition, and crave pardon for the same, yea let us never be quiet, till we have our quietus est, 
Psal. 39.8.  even a general acquittance for all our transgressions. And here again I must briefly advertise you, that you must resume the former compellation to this Petition, Pardon me, O my God. It is odious to God, and dangerous to men, to seek for Romish indulgences; it is impious to think that we may appeal from God to the Virgin Mary for mercy. 
Bernardino de Busto.  It is blasphemous to affirm, that Christ hath imparted to his Mother the disposing of mercy, and reserved to himself only the dispensing of justice, 
Gabriel Biel in Canone Missae.  as certain Papists teach. He that rewardeth us, must also pardon us, according to that of Esay, 
Esa 43.25.  I, even I, do put away, do put away thy iniquities; Here that I, so redoubled, is emphatical, and exclusive, as it is in the eleventh Verse, I, even I, am the Lord. I, even I, as if he should say, I, and none but I. We indeed by preaching of the word may draw your pardons, but God in mercy must grant them, and by his spirit must seal them, 
2 Sam. 12.13.  according to nathan's words; Dominus transtulit, the Lord hath put away thy sin.  
Give me leave in a word or two, to pass from the act to the person, Pardon me. Me; here the comfort is more ample and excellent in the original, then in our translation, and no marvel, for no translation can keep a proportion quoad pondus with the original, the Hebrew which we translate me, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  is gnalai, upon me, or over me, as if he should say, let thy pardon protect me, and let thy mercy be spread over me, like the glorious Canopy of heaven. Let it be like the cloudy pillar, which was as a veil and covering to the children of Israel. So that Nehemiah craveth here a protecting Pardon, both a protection and a Pardon, and the Lord granteth them both in one Patent; It is like David's words in the fift Psalm, For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous, 
Psal. 5.13.  and with favour wilt compass him as with a shield. Here also the Hebrew fountain runs fuller of divine comfort then the English stream, for the Hebrew word signifieth to compass with a crown. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Thus with Gods pardon there goeth his protection, with this protection, his crown and benediction, & all these comforts do flow from the fountain of his mercy, as it followeth; Pardon me according to thy great mercy.   

The manner.  
WHen I come to speak of the mercy of God, I enter into a Labyrinth without end, and dive into an Ocean without bottom; It fareth with me as with the traveller, who hath fare to go and little time to spend, but let me crave your patience, and I will hast to the end of my journey. The word Kesed here translated mercy, plus est quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Pagn. è Rab. Kimchi.  saith a learned Linguist, it is more than natural love, which you know runneth with a strong current; Therefore when you hear of God's tender mercies, think upon the affection of a tender hearted mother, and remember yet, that the mercy of God doth as fare surmount the same, as the resplendent Sun exceedeth the little spark of fire in brightness. No man hath seen God at any time, yet hath he manifested himself unto us by his Son incarnate, 
Bern. in Cant. Serm. 61.  Per cuius vulnera patebant viscera, through whose side wounded with the spear, you might behold the bowels of compassion wounded with love.  
God's mercy seldom goeth alone, but usually it hath some epithet annexed to it; as here it is called his great mercy. Rab, & quantitatis & qualitatis est, say the Hebrews, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  so that it comprehendeth all whatsoever hath excellency in quality, or amplitude in quantity. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  It is Kerob casdeka, secundum multitudinem, according to thy many mercies, as diverse do translate it, or secundum magnitudinem, according to thy great mercy, as here we read it, and neither amiss. For as the Hebrew word, so God's mercy have both the discreet and continued quantity. When jacob had got the blessing of Isaac, as we read, Genes. 27. Esau said to his Father in the anguish of spirit, Hast thou but one blessing, bless me, even me also my Father: Yet the good old man, though an indulgent father, had but one that was worthy the name of a blessing. But happy are we, our heavenly Father is not so penurious. He hath more than one mercy, he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
1 Cor. 1.3.  The Father of Mercies; 
Ephes. 2.4. Exod. 20.6. Psal. 51.1.  and the God of all consolation; He is rich in mercy. He hath mercy for thousands. He hath a multitude of mercies. It would ask much time to manifest this, through the whole mine of sacred Scripture; I will only bound my speech within a few rich veins of Ore, in the Psalms. In the 59 Psalm you shall find Gods preventing mercy; In the 23. his following mercy; In the 40. Psalm his tender mercy; In the 119. his reviving mercy; In the 26. his redeeming mercy; In the 6. Psalm his healing mercy; In the 86. his confirming mercy; In the 103. his crowning mercy. If I should spend many hours in recompting the particular mercies of God, and had that 
* That yielded seven Echoes.  Heptaphon of Olympus, yea the tongue of men and Angels, you might say unto me upon the close of my speech with the Queen of Sheba, 
1 Reg. 10.  Thou hast not told us the one half. Behold, so abundant are the mercies of our God, and therefore, poor sinners need not come to this blessed fountain, like the people to the pool of Bethesda, one at once, but be they as many as the stars in the firmament, or the sands on the seashore, let them approach together to the Mercy-seat and they shall find, that God hath in readiness a mercy for every misery, as it were a present salve for every sore. The Lord keepeth a continual jubilee; his Court of Chancery standeth always open; his ever-flowing and overflowing fountain, 
Zach. 13.1.  is still set open for sin and for uncleanness. Where the spirit and the Spouse say come, 
Reuel. 22.17.  and let him that is a thirst come, and let whosoever will come, and take of the water of life freely.  
Again, as God's mercies are many in the discreet, so are they great in the continued quantity: Yea they are exceeding great, 1 Sam. 24.14. God's mercy (as one saith well) hath all the dimensions. 
Psal. 36.5.  Thy mercy, O God, reacheth unto the heavens; there is the height of his mercy. 
Psal. 86.13.  Great is thy mercy, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell, there is the depth of his mercy. 
Psal. 104.24.  The earth is full of thy goodness, there is the breadth of his mercy. 
Psal. 98.4.  All the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God, there is the length of his mercy. Yea, the mercy of God is transcendent, and beyond all dimension, and no more possible to be comprehended by us, than the heavens to be compassed with our span. Therefore when Saint Paul doth pray, that the Ephesians may know the love of Christ, according to these dimensions, he addeth, which passeth knowledge. 
Ephes. 3.18.19.  Though God be excellent in all his works, yet is his glory most eminent in his mercy. His punishing rod is of ivory; 
Psal. 2.9. Exod. 25.17.  but his Mercy-seat of pure Gold. God's mercy must needs be great, which extendeth itself in some sort, even to hell and to the damned. 
Rom. 11.22.  First in his patience towards the vessels of wrath, waiting for their conversion, till he be pressed as it were a cart under sheaves. 
Amos 2.13.  Secondly in his indulgence in punishing a sinner. For whereas ex se materiam sumit miserendi, (as Bernard saith.) He taketh occasion, only forth of his own goodness, to show mercy: yet no man's sin is punished without his just demerits. Thirdly, even to the damned in hell, there is a privative mercy extended, quoad intensionem, wound, except you will be like desperate Porus, 
justin. lib. 12.  who would not suffer his wounds to be dressed. We read in in the six and fortieth of Ezechiel, that they which went into the Temple at one door, were commanded to go forth at another. It is no improbable conjecture, that they might not turn their faces from the Mercy-seat. That is an excellent speech of Augustine's, or rather Anselmes. 
Aug. Medit. 38.  Etsi Domine, ego commisi unde me damnare potes, tu tamen non amisisti unde me saluare potes: O blessed Lord, though I have committed those transgressions, for which thou mayest condemn me: yet thou hast not lost those compassions, by which thou mayest save me. 
Psal. 130.1.  Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord, saith David; Abyssus abyssum invocat, saith Bernard; One deep calleth upon another, O let the deep of misery, call upon the deep of mercy. If your souls were in such a strait, that you saw hell opening her mouth upon you, like the red Sea before the Israelites; the damned spirits pursuing you behind, like the Egyptians; on the right hand, and on the left a thousand dreads and dangers, yet would I say unto you in Moses words, stand still, 
Exod. 14.  and behold the salvation of the Lord: For he that putteth his trust in the Lord, 
Psal. 32.10.  mercy embraceth him on every side.  
This mercy of God is like the Sanctuary to the legal offendor, like Mount Ararat to Noah's tossed Ark, like Noah's hand to his weary Dove; like Assuerus golden Sceptre to the happy petitioner. O come then, and with Queen Hester touch the top of this Sceptre, so shall you be received with her into the King's presence, yea into the Kingdom of heaven; where all your petitions shall be turned into gratulations, your prayers into praises, and your Elegies into Hallelujaes; which mercy the God of all mercies grant us even for jesus Christ his sake, our alone Saviour and Redeemer, to whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three persons and one immortal God, all honour, power, praise, Majesty, and Dominion be rendered, and ascribed by all the servants of God in heaven, and in earth; this day and for ever. Amen. AMEN.   
FINIS.