jovis 27. Novemb. 1645. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament, That M. Burroughes, who Preached yesterday in the Abby-Church Westminster before the Lords in Parliament, being the day of the Public Fast, is hereby thanked for the great pains he took in the said Sermon; And desired to Print and Publish the same; which is only to be Printed by Authority under his own hand. Io: Browne, Cleric. Parliamentorum. I appoint Robert Dawlman to print this Sermon, and no other. Jer: Burroughes. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, The House of PEERS, assembled in PARLIAMENT. Right Honourable, GOd calls you to days of Fasting and Prayer, you call his Ministers to join with you, to be helpful to you in them. When should you ever think to be dealt faithfully with, if not now? How can we recompense better any faithfulness of yours to God and the State, but by being faithful to your souls? These Prayers and Sermons pass away month after month, but know, that God will call them all over again, he will require an account of them one day. It is a happiness you have beyond the greatest part of the Nobility of the Christian world, that you have the Word in the plainness and power of it administered to you. You cannot honour the Word so much as it honours you; the Preachers of the Word have not so much need of you, as you have of that Word they preach to you. Your Honours have the largest opportunities to honour God, and to do good to his Saints, that ever Noblemen had since the world began. God hath laid out work for you fit for truly noble spirits; you have as many Saints to take care of in these Kingdoms, as ever any on earth had, use them kindly, that they may bless you, and bless God for you; be not exasperated against any of them by those who know not, or consider not of what spirits they are. Although we should account it a heaven upon earth that there were nothing but wheat growing in that part of the field where we live; yet seeing there are many tares sprung up, many errors and sinful practices; if your Lordships should now be put upon such severity, as out of zeal to pluck up all the errors which are not venomous weeds destroying, but tares only, some way disturbing the growth of the wheat, you shall as much as in you lies pluck up much of the wheat, denying such as are godly and peaceable the enjoyment of the Ordinances of Christ, (for so it is, if they cannot partake of them, without that which is sin to them) and as some would have it, cast them out of the Kingdom: This, I fear, will not be acceptable to the meek, gentle, forbearing spirit of Jesus Christ, in the day of your account. For connivance at Blasphemies or damnable Heresies, God forbidden any should open his mouth; those who are guilty herein against the light of nature, should be taken off from the face of the earth; and such as are guilty against supernatural light, are to be restrained and kept from the society of men, that they infect not others. But if on the other side, your Lordships be put upon this principle, that those who appear to be men holy and gracious, yet must not be suffered in opinion or practice wherein they differ from what such a company of learned and godly men shall determine. The Lord prepare me for himself, and quickly call me out of this world, that my eyes may not behold such a sad spectacle, as the hard usage (to say no worse) of so many thousands of Saints, and that by such who are also I believe the true Saints of God. When I look upward to God, to your Honours, and the Honourable House of Commons, I see less cause of fear: God is full of mercy, love, patience, and tenderness towards those who are godly, and desire to walk peaceably with his Saints; if they can appeal to him; Oh Lord, the searcher of the secrets of hearts, thou knowest not only our desires, but our painful sincere endeavours, are to find out thy mind, and to submit our understandings, wills, affections, practices, to whatsoever in the use of any means, we can see to be thy will: but after all our diligent endeavours, we yet cannot apprehend such opinions and practices, which our brethren hold forth to us to be what thou requirest of us; and thou chargest us not to acknowledge or practise any thing, where we feel not a bottom of thy Word to rest upon; therefore if it be through our weakness that we do not join with our brethren in what they would have, yet out of a sincere desire that we may do nothing displeasing to thee, Lord pardon this to us: Surely God in this case will pity his people, he will not charge such error, in judgement or practice upon them. And as for your Honours, together with the Honourable House of Commons, we have that which cannot but be a comfort to thousands of truly godly people in the land, for which they praise God. Namely, an Order from you that the Commit of Lords and Commons appointed to treat with the Commissioners of Scotland, and the Committee of the Assembly do endeavour the finding out some way how fare tender consciences who cannot in all things submit to the common rule, may be tolerated according to the word of God; We see in your Lordships and the Honourable House of Commons, a Nobleness, joined with much tenderness to the godly party, whom God hath made so instrumental for you; for which, the blessing of God be upon you, and your posterities. But it cannot but much sadden our hearts, that any party in the Kingdom should seek to quench that spark of favour and hope, that so good a hand of God hath begun to kindle, for his people who fear him. Yea, that so many of our brethren who lately were under bondage, with whom we joined in fasting and prayer, crying to heaven for deliverance from our yokes; and that those who awhile since were left destitute, and fled to this City for refuge from the rage of the enemy: yet as soon as they have found succour here, that they should rise up to oppose a forbearance of their brethren, who together with them love jesus Christ, and agree with them in the substance of worship, and the doctrinal part of Religion; yea, and in matter of Discipline differ not from them but in that which is controversal; not so clear to themselves, but that they will acknowledge, godly and peaceable men may mistake in; what no forbearance in these things? How comes this hardness, this severity, into those hearts, where the spirit of jesus Christ rules? where are those bowels? those bowels they say are so stirred in them, surely there is want of bowels, or if they be there, Oh that they would work some other way then yet they have done. Nay further, this cannot but go to our hearts, to see these brethren to stir up the Assembly and City against them who love them in the Lord; Si tantum habet pondus aliquod verum, ut vires discentis excedat, suspendendum est, ut extendat crescentem, non imponendum, ut obterat parvulum. August. Quest. in Mat. 11. and to be so vehement to promote that, which very lately many, if not most of them understood not, of which they have given out no Model to the Kingdom, with proofs and reasons. If I know mine own heart, I can say, Peace is dearer to me then my life, I could joyfully lay down my life to procure peace between brethren, but surely this is not the way. It is a good rule of Augustine, If any truth hath that weight, that it exceeds the strength of the learner; it is to be suspended, that that which is little and tender, may have liberty by degrees to put forth itself; it must not be imposed, left it bruise and oppress it, and so hinder the growth. Whatsoever liberty shall be granted according to the Word, I hope there is a generation that will not abuse it, but will in the midst of their liberties be servants to Peace and Concord, according to that I find in an Epistle of Master calvin's to Farell, Nos liberi, Servi sumus Pacis & Concordiae. And my Lords, seeing there is such an outcry against Toleration and Schism, I beseech your Honours that there may be a full debate, how far Christ would have Brethren tolerate one another, both in matters of judgement and practice; and what that Schism is, which the Scripture condemns as a thing not to be suffered, and that the result of this debate may be published to the Kingdom for their satisfaction. We know what abuse there hath been of words, by them a spirit of opposition hath been stirred up in people against they know not what. And I the rather humbly beseech this, because many presume to interpret the Covenant against all kind of Toleration, and whatsoever they are pleased to call Schism, and so they make the Covenant which we have made with the high God, to become a snare to many thousand consciences of godly and peaceable men. The Lord God guide your Honours, and give unto every one of you the wisdom of an Angel of God, in these miserable distracting times, that you may do worthily in your generation, that in all your ways Christ may own you, and all the godly of the Land may with one spirit join together and bless you, which is and shall be the prayer of him who is Your Honours In all humble service for Christ, Jer: Burroughes. A SERMON PREACHED at a late FAST, before the Right Honourable the House of PEERS. PHILIP. 4.12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where, and in all things I am instructed. BEsides the Apostolical call Paul had to preach to all Nations, he had a special extraordinary call to preach to these Philippians. Act. 16.9. A man of Macedonia appears in a vision, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. By which, ver. 10. he assuredly gathered that the Lord had called him to preach the Gospel there. The first place in Macedonia where he preached, was Philippi, a chief City in that part of Macedonia, ver. 12. But was Paul's encouragement according to what might have been expected from his extraordinary call? one would have thought the people should have come presently in to embrace the Gospel. And when I consider of this place, [Westminster] the extraordinary hand of God in bringing the Gospel to be preached to you here in power, these thoughts presently arise, there is hope that there are many souls here that belong to God's election, surely many will come in and embrace the Gospel here. Who could have thought six years since, that instead of every morning's chanting, this place should be the most eminent for having the Gospel preached in it? I think I may say of any place in all the world. How extraordinary hath the providence of God been towards you, in working thus for you! One would think now the hearts of people should be mightily stirred; God forbidden the success here should be no better than Paul's preaching at Philippi was at the first. For the first Sabbath he came thither, he went to a River's side to preach; and what, did the Nobles, the Magistrates, the Gentry, the chief Citizens come out to hear him? No, only a few women came to him: ver. 13. We spoke (says he) to the women which resorted thither. Paul is a woman's Preacher. Well, but did the Word work upon any of the women? Yes, There was a certain woman named Lydia, a trades-woman, a seller of purple, whose heart the Lord opened. But though he had no better success at the first, yet after perhaps he might. The next thing that you hear of him, is, that he, together with Silas who went along with him, is dragged before the Magistrates for factious troublers of the City, the rude multitude are raised against them. The Magistrates look upon them as men most vile and guilty of horrid things, so as they are enraged against them; they rend off their clothes, and whip them, they put them into prison, they are thrust into the dungeon, and put into the stocks: and is this the fruit of that wonderful call of God, of that vision from heaven, that did so encourage Paul, a man of such a mighty Apostolical spirit as he had, to come to this place to preach? Oh the sad discouragements that some meet with, in works that God calls them unto! Learn by this never to conclude that a work is not of God, because you meet with discouragements at the first. Bore your hearts upon Gods call, there will come forth good at the last. The spirits of Paul and Silas were not daunted by this hard success; for 1 Thes. 2.2. he tells us, that After they were shamefully entreated at Philippi, they were bold in their God There was as famous a Church gathered in Philippi at the last, as free from mixture, as eminent in godliness as any. That way men sleight, contemn, cast dirt upon, stir up Magistrates and people against, may prevail at last. Phil. 1.3, 4, 5. Paul thanks God for them upon every remembrance of them, always in every prayer, he makes his request for them with joy. Oh that those Ministers whom God sends to you to preach every morning, might from that they see in you say thus: Every time we think of Westminster, we give God thanks, we cannot but remember that place with joy, in regard of the happy success of our Ministry there. But though these Philippians were stirred at first, did those workings of the Gospel upon them hold? Many have hopeful workings upon them, when the Gospel comes first among them; but after a while all vanishes and comes to nothing: but it was not so here, for ver. 5. he says, Their fellowship in the Gospel had continued from the first day until now, which was about ten years: For Paul's first coming to Philippi was in the 7. of Claudius, and this Epistle was wrote in the 3. of Nero. Many Churches at their first gathering have sweet fellowship, but in less than five years it is much interrupted by divisions, the glory of it is much darkened. At this time Paul was in prison at Rome. These Philippians hearing it, having received the Gospel by his Ministry, send Epaphroditus their Minister to visit him, and by him they send relief to his necessities. Paul's sufferings did not take off their hearts from him or his doctrine. It is not the way to prevail against Saints, against truths, or ways of God, to use violence against them; hypocrites may be taken off that way, but those who are sound, will be the more confirmed. Now upon the Philippians sending to relieve him in prison, Paul takes this occasion to write this Epistle to them, wherein he manifests his rejoicing at their care of him: but because some might think he loved to receive gifts from them, (which indeed are oftentimes snares, not only to the ministers of Justice, but to the ministers of the Gospel) No, says Paul, it is not in respect of want that I thus write to you, want troubles me not, do not think that I desire to gain by my imprisonment, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Let it be want or not, it makes no great difference in my estate, for I know how to be abased, and how to abound: in every thing I am instructed. I know. Humility is a knowing grace. Paul would not in a foolish sordid way debase himself, neither would he venture himself sillily; I know when God calls me to suffer, than I will suffer; and when God doth not, than I will not. I know how to be abased. Humility is not unlearned. Non indocta humilitas, sed quae habet scientiam laudi datur est humilitas formidinis, imperitiae, ignorantiae. Ambr. There is a humility of fear, and of ignorance, and unskilfulness, but this is a knowing humility. I know. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have known it, I have been acquainted with this, I am not now to learn it. When God first called me, he shown me what things I must suffer for his Name, it is not a lesson now to learn, I know how to be abased, I have learned in the school of Christ, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even to be trampled under feet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, se pedibus proculcandum substernat. A godly heart is willing to lie under the feet of any for good. I know how. I know how to judge of my abasement; not to look upon it as such a hideous thing, as carnal hearts would; I can see honour to be in my abasement; I know how to make other interpretations of God's meaning in my abasement then the world does; I know how to bear it with a quiet spirit; I know how to satisfy my heart in it; I know how to improve it to the glory of God, to the spiritual good of mine own soul and others; I know how to exercise faith and other graces in it; how to get out the sting, the venom of it; I know how to carry myself graciously, comfortably, heavenly in my abasement; so as though the world puts dishonour upon me, I shall not by any unbeseeming carriage dishonour myself or my cause. And it appears he did know how, for his gracious carriage in his bonds was such, as furthered the conversion of divers, some of the Courtiers of Caesar's household, Phil. 4.22. And I know how to abound. If God sends in supplies to me, if he gives me respect and honour among the Churches, I know who to look up to as the cause of all, I know how to carry myself holily and spiritually in the midst of all my enjoyments; if God sends me in so much as to run over, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I know how to make use of it. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sicut fons scaturiens in se aquam non retinet, sed foras emittens exundat ad alios. Zanch. in Phil. c. 1. 9 Every where, and in all things, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In every place, in every time, in every thing, the words will bear all this. It is a harder thing either to be abased, or to abound in one place more than another; in some place men may be honoured much in their sufferings, in other places there will be no regard given to them, yea they will be made a scorn and contempt in some places; there are more and stronger temptations to the abuse of a prosperous condition, then in others. 2. In every time. Some men can carry themselves stoutly in their abasement at first, but after a while it grows too burdensome to them, they begin to have repenting thoughts, wishing they had not engaged themselves so as they have. So some are free in that abundance God hath sent in, to good uses at some time, but come to them at other times, and they are not the same men; but I have learned how to be abased, and how to abound, in every time, and in every thing. Some can bear abasement in some things, but not in others; some can better manage wealth, than honour; others better honour than wealth: but I, says Paul, in every thing am instructed. Am instructed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I am taught as in a mystery, initiatus mysterius, I had not this by nature, I am taught it, and I see it is a mystery. It is not through the strength of reason I am able to do this, though that will go a great way, but it is a great mystery of godliness to know how to carry one's self graciously, through variety of conditions. It is not through a natural staidness of temper, nor through a sturdy resolution that I will not be altered, through the variety of conditions I am cast into, but Jesus Christ hath taught me the art and mystery of this. This chosen vessel of God, set apart to do the greatest service for Christ that ever man did, was tossed up and down in the world, sometimes he wanted bread, sometimes he was clothed in rags, he had not enough to cover his nakedness. Harken to this you who are delicate in your diet, and brave in your clothes, that nothing but curiosities can content you; here is one who did Christ more service than a thousand of you, and yet you see what served his turn. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Chrysost. in Col. Hom. 12 chrysostom makes notable use of Paul's sufferings, to check the vanity and pride of men's hearts, set upon delicacies. Would you (says he) be clothed in silks? remember the bands of Paul, and silken clothes will be vile unto thee. Would you be bespangled with gold? remember the bands of Paul. Would you be brave with your hair? (we may say now with other men's, nay with other women's hair, having consumed your own heir by your lusts) consider (says he) of the filth and deformity of Paul in prison. Would you have sweet ointments and powders? choose rather Paul's tears. And for dishonour, he tells us that he and those who joined with him, were accounted the offscouring & filth of all things, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rejectamentum, so Erasmus. it signifies the dirt scraped off men's shoes, or from the pavement of the ground; he hath reference to that, Lam. 3.45. Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nauseam, so Arias Montanus turns it, the loathing of the people, their stomaches were ready to turn when they saw them, when they thought or spoke of them, as when a man is ready to vomit. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the filth gathered by sweep up and down, and cast upon the common dung-cart in the street. Budaeus thinks these words have reference to the custom of the Heathens, who in times of infectious diseases or public calamity, sacrificed certain men to their gods, for the removing those evils that were upon them, and upon these men they lay all the execrations of the people, as if they had been the causes of all their misery: So are we accounted, says Paul, men cry out of us as the plague of the world, they curse us as the plague of all their misery. At other times, Paul had honour enough: Gal 4.15. Where is the blessedness? I bear you record, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. They turned upon their own heads, says Luther upon the place, the cruel hatred and indignation both of Jews and Gentiles, because they were the receivers and countenancers of Paul: So at this day (says he) the name of Luther is most odious in the world, he that praiseth me, sinneth worse than an Idolater, blasphemer, perjurer, adulterer, murderer, thief: it must needs be therefore (says he) the Galatians were well established in the faith of Christ, seeing they with so much danger received Paul. It hath been the honour of some of you heretofore to receive and countenance godly Ministers, who suffered under the tyranny of Prelates; you were willing to venture the discountenance of the times in owning them. This Christ hath owned you for, and we hope it shall be remembered for good to you and yours. Let not your hearts be changed towards these men. If you think or say, Now the case is altered, they stood out then against Prelates and Innovations, now they hinder Reformation. Ans. That which some call a hindrance of Reformation, it may be Christ another day will call by another name, a conscientious seeking to know his mind, and a sincere endeavour to come up the nearest to the rule of his Word. Do not these men in the change of times and variety of conditions that God hath cast them into, keep a constant evenness in their respects to God, and their holy walking before him? It argues an excellency of spirit to be acted by such principles as carries the heart and life on in a gracious even course through changes of times and variety of conditions. Some men know not how to manage any condition, they are never well either full or fasting, as we use to say. As Hannibal said of Marcellus, Nec bonam nec malam fortunam ferre potuit; but Grace knows how to manage every condition. That Ship is well ballasted that sails cleaverly, though never so much tossed with winds and waves. It is the excellency of grace to be able to turn this way or that way, as God calls, to make use of the weapons of righteousness, both on the right hand and on the left. 2 Cor. 6.7. Truth and falsehood, good and evil are at such a distance, as by the same principle a man cannot apply himself to either side; but as for honour or dishonour, poverty or riches, liberty or restraint, they are at no such distance, but that the same grace may apply itself this way or that way, as occasion serves. We read of that Grace, (Hope) sometimes it is called a Helmet, sometimes an Anchor; if you be at land, and meet with enemies, Hope is your Helmet; if at sea, and meet with storms, Hope is your Anchor. Like Mertylus his shield, which after the use he had of it in the field, having it with him at sea, and suffering shipwreck, it served him for a boat to waff him to shore. Compare Psal. 57 with Psal. 108. you shall find David's condition various, but his spirit the same. In the 57 he is fled for his life from the rage of Saul, and hid in a cave; in 108. he is triumphing, God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, I will meet out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine, Ephraim is the strength of my head, Moab is my washpot, etc. yet a great part of these Psalms is in the very same words, My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, to God will I sing and give praise, etc. from the 7. ver. in the 57 to the end; and in Psal. 108. from the 1. to the 7. ver. It is a great part of the glory of God to be unchangeable, and yet to operate in all changes. It is a great excellency of the image of God in the hearts of the Saints, that in the variety of conditions it still abides the same, to know how to be abased, and how to abound. These are the two great Lessons in the Text, Paul had learned them both. We read Prov. 30. Agur, though wise and godly, yet he desired to have neither riches nor poverty; he was afraid of abasement, or abounding; but the Gospel gives higher degrees of grace, Paul was afraid of neither, he knew how to manage either abasement or abounding. Both these Lessons do nearly concern this Honourable Auditory; of both, the second is most difficult, in which we shall be largest. The greatest on the earth had need learn how to be abased: God knows how to abase you thousands of ways, but you must know how to be abased, it were happy if you did. 1. Know therefore that there is an infinite distance between God and you. What are you, though Nobles, Earls, yea though you were the Lords of the whole earth, but poor vile worms, under the feet of the Almighty? You love to have men know their distance between you and them; it is fit it should be so; it is your due, their duty; but do you know also the infinite distance there is between the high God and you: Constantinus, Valentinianus, Theodosius, three Emperors, called themselves Vasallos Christi, Christ's vassals, such is the distance between him and the greatest Emperors, as it is their honour to stand even in that relation to him. Had you all your former Lands, Possessions, Honours, were they increased a thousand fold, yet one sight of the glory of the great God were enough to abase your hearts to the dust. Especially when you come into God's presence, you must be sure to have your hearts abased before him; Let not your thoughts, your eyes wander in Prayer; let there be no whisper, no carriage unbeseeming the presence of the great God: And in hearing the Word, your hearts must lie low. It is true, the condition of the Messenger is beneath you, but the word he brings is above you; God expects you should hear his word with trembling hearts. It may be some Trencher-Chaplains preaching to some of you, have out of hope of preferments by you, laboured to satisfy your humours, which hath made some of you slight the Word; but when the Word is spoken as the Word of God unto you, he expects your hearts should fall before it, and yield due subjection to it. 2 Chron. 26.12. Zedekiah a great King is charged for this, that he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the Prophet. Paul, a prisoner at the Bar, preaching to Felix the Judge, of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come, made him tremble upon the Bench, Act. 24.25. And especially in the days of Humiliation, God looks for hearts broken, humbled and abased; Take heed these days be not a mere form to you; seeing you hold forth to the world that you acknowledge God calling you to such days, he expects that your souls should be afflicted in them, that you should come into and continue in his presence as poor wretches, begging for your lives. 2. Lay to heart the vileness of sin which hath stained your births; your births otherwise are honourable: but every one of you have your blood stained with High Treason against the God of heaven. The many and foul sins of your youth and latter time, hath dishonoured you; all the world cannot put such glory upon you, as sin puts baseness. Dan. 11.21. Antiochus Epiphanes is called a vile person, though a great Prince. Josephus reports, that the Samaritans petitioning him, styled him The mighty God; but the holy Ghost looking upon him as wicked, saith, he is a vile person. Sin makes those who are otherwise honourable, to be vile in the presence of God. 3. And what are those great things you have in reference to God? Tantus quisque est, quantus est apud Deum; What a man is to God, so indeed he is to be esteemed. What are houses or lands, titles or gay clothes to God? 4. Consider the service that others do for God more than you; God hath more honour in one month from some poor families who work hard to get their bread, then in some of yours in many years. Now the excellency of men is according to their usefulness. That man is the most honourable man that is the most useful man. The Lord hath not been much beholding to the great men of the earth for the carrying on his great designs in the world, especially since Christ's time, except some few, they have been laid aside in the great works that God hath done. Not many rich, not many noble, but God hath chosen the poor of the world, the vile and contemptible things of the world, to carry on his most precious works by. This is a humbling consideration to the great ones of the earth. Turcium imperium quantum quantum est, mica tantum est quam paterfamilias proficit canibus. 5. All the honours and riches you have, are no other than may be the portion of a Reprobate. True, you have more than others, but not more than a Reprobate may have. The whole Turkish Empire, says Luther, is but a crumb that the Master of the Family throws to a dog, all but a mere fancy. Acts 25.23. Bernice and Agrippa came with great pomp, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so are the words of the holy Ghost. I find after God had rejected Saul, yet he lets him prosper much, he had many victories, great riches. 1 Sam. 13. he was rejected, but read farther, Chap. 14. and Chap. 15. Learn then to be abased, notwithstanding your greatness in the world. 6. And if you belong not to God, that title you have to all your greatness is no other than that which a Malefactor hath to what is given him by the bounty of the Prince, to preserve him till his execution. I deny not but wicked men have a right not only before men, but before God to what they enjoy in the world; but it is such a right as the Malefactor hath to what is allowed him after he hath forfeited all, he does not usurp it, it is given him. There is little cause such should pride themselves in what they have. Lastly, it is no long time that you are like to enjoy, that now you have above others; within a while there will be little difference between you and others; only this, you will have more to answer for than others. When I appear before God, says Pelican, a Germane Divine, I shall not appear in my robes as a Doctor, but as a Christian; so when you shall appear before Christ, you shall not appear in your Parliament robes, with your ensigns of honour and Nobility, but as naked, mean as the poorest; only you must answer for your honour, your Nobility you had here, how they were improved for God. Many men of great estates & dignities, when they come to die, would be glad to be as such and such poor men, who have walked with God in their integrity. Granatensis reports of one Eucritus, who being asked, Uter mallet esse Craesus vel Socrates, whether he had rather be Croesus, or Socrates? he answered, Vivens Croesus, moriens Socrates; while he lived, Croesus; when he died, Socrates. God will have glory from all his creatures; he hath sworn by himself, and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousness, that Every knee shall bow unto him, and every tongue confess his Name. Learn then how to be abased now; do not stay till God forces abasement; if you stay till then, God may justly refuse to receive any glory from you, in any other but a passive way. Baseness should be farthest from the spirits of Noblemen; but to know how to be abased, that is, humbled before God, this is a lesson of great use for men of noble families, and noble spirits; it will no way hinder the nobleness of your spirits, but heighten and enlarge them. 1. A base spirit sinks down to low unworthy things, as the adequate object of it; it hath no high or honourable designs for God, or any thing of worth; but if the flesh may be satisfied in the lusts of it, this is all it minds. 2. A base spirit is discouraged by any difficulties it meets with in the greatest businesses; it lets the work go, rather than it will encounter any difficulty. 3. Baseness causes men to regard only the serving their own turns; if they be served, let come of others or public good what will, they care not. 4. Base spirits are led along by every little temptation like fools, they are not able to withstand scarce any temptation. 5. A base spirit will insult over those that are beneath it; but in a vile manner subject itself to those who are above it, even to lie under their lusts. God deliver you from this. This need not be learned. The lusts in men's hearts, if let alone, will quickly bring down men's spirits to this baseness. This hath been and is the cause of much evil among us: such a base spirit, oh how unsuitable is it to a noble birth! But by learning this lesson of the Apostle, to be willing to have the heart, the estate, name, and whatsoever God pleases to lie low before him, this is of great use to deliver men in high places from the power of Temptations. The temptations are great that you are subject to, by reason of your greatness. When Marcus Curio was told, if he would please Dyonisius, he needed not feed upon turnips; he answered him that told him so, If he could but bring himself to feed upon turnips, he need not please Dyonisius. What is the reason that so many of the Nobility have betrayed their trust, have debased themselves, have brought a stain upon their families, but because they could not tell how to be low? They were afraid of loss of honour, or estate, they dared not trust God with them. If some of you could have trusted God with your Honours, you might have been the most honourable Noblemen in Christendom. He that knows how to be abased, will know better how to abound, which is the second Lesson, I know how to abound. If I could tell this Congregation how every one might get abundance, I believe I should have an attentive Auditory if it were till midnight; but I am now to show you how you should sanctify God's name in your abundance. You will say, These are times of want, rather than of abounding. I answer, Ans. if indeed I should now preach this point in some places of England, it would be a very unseasonable argument unto them; but among us, there are some who do now more abound then ever they did in their lives; some who lived meanly enough before these times, yet now they can live bravely, who have raised their estates out of the misery of the times. Certainly it will never be any honour to a man and his posterity, if hereafter it shall be found that he hath grown rich by the evil of the times. That which is reported of Sir Thomas More, who was Lord Chancellor of England many years, was much to his honour, that when he died, he left his son not above 25. l. per annum more than the inheritance his father left him. It will be to the honour of men to be found rather poorer then richer in after times. But though you have not that abundance that you have had, yet in respect of thousands, yea millions of your brethren, ye do now abound. You think perhaps that except you have many thousands coming in, you are in want. Some of you are it may be of the judgement of Marcus Crassus, whom Plutarch speaks of, who accounted no man rich, except he could of his own charges maintain an Army. It may be you have not enough to satisfy your fancies, yet you have enough to supply your wants, and over. I am sure you abound more than Paul did, yet he saith in this Chapter, ver. 18. I have all, and abound, I am full. Oh that you would but give your hearts to learn how to abound in what you have. It is a good sign of grace to be more solicitous to know how to abound, then to get abundance; to be more careful to use what you have for God, then to maintain it for yourselves. Therefore the argument being of that great necessity and use, as I hope I shall make it appear to you before I have done, I shall enlarge myself in it, and divide it into these seven Heads. 1. I shall show, first, When a man may be said to abound. 2. The difficulty of this Lesson. 3. The necessity of it. 4. The mystery of godliness that is in it. 5. The excellency of it. 6. The several lessons that are to be learned, to make a man skilful in it. 7. The Application of all. For the first. When may a man be said to know how to abound? When he can set a due value and price upon the good things he enjoys, so as neither to prise them too low nor too high. Honours and riches are in themselves the good blessings of God, they come out of God's good treasure. Deut. 28.12. The Lord will open to thee his good treasure. And if you be godly, they are unto you the fruit of the Promise, they are given to you as encouragements in the ways of God, as good utensils for God's service, giving you larger opportunities for the work of the Lord, than those have who are poor. I beseech you, Right Honourable, consider of this one note, it is an excellent argument of truth of grace, yea and of a good measure of grace, to account the excellency of honours and riches to consist in this, that they give larger opportunities for the service of God, than others have, who are in a lower condition; to make the estimate of your honours and estates, by the opportunity of your service. A poor man may be as precious to God as you, but he can do but little for him, because he hath not those outward helps that ye have. You enjoy great mercies, but wherein lies the excellency of them? can you say as in the presence of God, I bless God for these outward mercies I have, but that which enlarges my heart most in blessing his Name for them, is the large opportunities they afford me to honour his Name, which otherwise I should not have? Many great men make the estimate of their honours and estates to be this, they have more ability and opportunity by them to satisfy their lusts without control, which others have not. They are the good blessings of God, but they are but common blessings; the enjoying of them makes not a man the better by them; as the letter in a word that hath a flourish about it, puts not more to the sense of the word than another doth. These things make no man more acceptable to God, they are no signs of a good condition, more than a painted face is a sign of a good complexion. You would be loath to choose a wife by the painting of her face; it would be your folly to judge of her complexion according to her paint. Certainly it is as good an argument to prove the goodness of the constitution of her body, as honours and riches are to prove the good condition of any man before God. These things are blessings, but they are blessings of the left hand, they are outward blessings; if they be good to you, it must be from some goodness in you, to use them for good; as a man's first warmed by the heat of the body, and then they heat, they are good things; but man's happiness is not in the having them, nor his misery in the want of them, they make no great difference in men's estates. Secondly, when a man knows how to proportion the use of what he enjoys, so much to such an use, and at such a time, and no more. You must not think because what you have is your own, & you have enough, therefore you need not regard to keep measure and proportion in the use of it. When Zeno the Philosopher reproved one for immoderate feasting, he answered, He spent of his own, and he had enough: Zeno replied, If your Cook should put two or three handfuls of salt into your meat more than was fit, and should say, He had salt enough by him that cost nothing; would this be a good answer? So for the time of the enjoying of your abundance, you must know your season, there is a time to mourn as well as to rejoice; at some times you may take a more free use of the creature, at other times you must deny yourselves. It was a great charge of God upon those, Esay 22.12, 13. when God called to weeping and to mourning, there was joy and gladness, eating flesh and drinking wine. Thirdly, when a man can so use his abundance, as to avoid the temptations that go along with it, he is a wise man that can do so. If you give children fish with many small bones, they know not how to eat the fish without choking themselves. In prosperity there are many small bones, there is much danger, it requires much wisdom to take the good, and avoid the evil: God doth not require you to cast away your abundance, that you might avoid the danger that is in it, as Crates, Aristippus, and other Philosophers did foolishly. It is weakness to have need to deny one's self the use of the creature, because of the danger in it; but yet he had need to be very vigilant in observing the temptation in it, that he may avoid it. You greedily many times swallow in the sweetness of your abundance, not considering what poison of temptation may lie in it, and so swallowing down all, you are undone by it. The prosperity of fools destroys them, (says Solomon. Ei conciliandae pacis & concordiae cum Luthero idem accidisse, quod illis qui prae nimia aviditate etiam faeces haurirent. ) It was said of Bucer, that he was so eager of peace with Luther, that he was like to a man that through much greediness takes in dregs and all. The foolish hearts of men are so taken with the sweet of their prosperity, that they scarce have a serious thought of any danger in it, to avoid it. Fourthly, than a man knows how to abound, when he can have command over his spirit in the use of what he enjoys; when a man can so take pleasure, that his pleasure takes not him: you say of such men, that they have great possessions, but their possessions rather have them. It is sordidness in a man to be a servant to his servant. It was the curse of Cain, A servant of servants shalt thou be. Thus when a man hath no command over his spirit, but is a servant to what he hath, the curse of Cain is upon him. When you cannot be merry in company, nor in the liberal use of the creatures, but by them are made unfit for holy duties, you now are brought under the power of them, you do not enjoy them. How seldom have you been able to let out your hearts to mirth, jollity, and contentment to the flesh, so as you could at the evening freely pour them forth before God in Prayer? No, many times it is a day or two before you can get any command over your spirits again. Certainly you have not learned how to abound. Fiftly, then doth a man know how to abound, when he so enjoys what he hath, as he is ready to part with it for God. They who have lived at a high rate all their days, now cannot live low; they will rather venture to break their consciences, or do any thing, rather than to be mean. But when a man can say, Lord, if thou hast any other way to honour thy Name by me, then in the enjoyment of what I have, here I am, do with me as thou pleasest: and when God takes away his comforts from him, can say, The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh, blessed be the Name of the Lord; this man hath learned how to abound: but when men's hearts cannot enjoy these comforts, but they so cleave to them, that they cannot part with them without the rending of their hearts, if they lose a little of what they have, they presently cry out, They are undone; these men never knew how to abound. Sixtly, when men know how to enjoy God in their abundance, and to be led to him by it, they are not creature-comforts that satisfy them, but God in them; the creature is but the channel that lets God into their hearts. Esay 6.3. The whole earth is full of thy glory, Plenitudo totius terrae gloria ejus. so you have it in your books, but it is more proper to read it thus, His glory is the fullness of the earth. When a man can say, It is the glory of God that is the fullness of my honour, and my estate, and of my comforts, it is communion with God that I enjoy in these, that rejoiceth my soul: it is true, the Ordinances are the special channels that let out God's goodness to me; yet that sweetness of his love, that communion which I have with him in these outward things, are more to me then all the world; this man hath learned how to abound. Phil. 4.7. the Apostle says, The peace of God shall keep their hearts; but ver. 9 The God of peace shall be with you. It is not enough to a gracious heart to have the peace of God, but he must have the God of peace; so it is not enough for him to have honour from God, but he must have the God of that honour; all the riches in the world cannot satisfy him, except he hath the God that gave him those riches. When thy heart can be carried quickly through the creatures, to enjoy God as the fullness of what thou hast; and when the creature is made use of, to draw forth the graces of the Spirit of God in thee; so that the more thou dost abound, the more are thy graces acted to God the fountain of all, now thou hast learned how to abound: but where is the man who doth enjoy more of God in abundance then in want? Seventhly, then hath a man learned how to abound, when he hath learned how to trade with his abundance; not how to keep it to himself, but how to improve it for God, and the Public, and the relief of his Brethren, according to what he is able, when he improves his honour to lift up God's honour on high, & his riches, by being rich in good works, when he accounts himself a steward, and all he hath to be as talents given him to trade with, not for himself, but for his Master. 8. When some afflictions that you meet withal in your prosperity, are not hindrances to the comfortable enjoyment of the mercies you have. Many men have such weak spirits, that though God gives them abundance of mercies, yet if they have but any one affliction befall them, in the midst of all their abundance they forget all their mercies, God hath no thankfulness from them for them all; one affliction is as the grave to bury hundreds of mercies. Surely Haman knew not how to abound, when he was but crossed in the want of having the bowing of Mordecai's knee; all the honour he had in the Court was nothing to him. So it was with Ahab, one would think he had enough to have satisfied one man, being so great a King; yet because he had not Naboths vineyard, he is sick, and will not eat. A small thing laid upon a man's eye, will keep the sight of all the heavens from him; so many times a little affliction keeps the sight of abundance of mercies, yea heavenly mercies from you. Surely you have not learned how to abound. 9 Then a man knows how to abound, when in his abundance he knows himself; few men know themselves, when they are raised by prosperity. Psal. 9.20. Put them in fear Oh Lord, that they may know themselves to be but men. When men are got above their brethren, their hearts begin to swell, as if they were not men, as if all the world were made only to give them content. Right Honourable, while I am mentioning of these things, see what cause you have to be humbled, to fall down before the Lord this day; you have enjoyed abundance, but either you have not been in the school of Christ, or you have been but ill proficients in it. How few of you have learned thus to abound? Let this be the matter of your humiliation in the days of your Fasting. Some of you are cut short of your former abundance, God calls you now to be humbled for your abuse of it. 2. The difficulty of this lesson. Men think it is hard to be brought down under afflictions, but verily to know how to abound is much harder. You who live in this place, think your conditions to be far better than of those who live under the rage of the enemy; you yet enjoy so much, as if you be not unthankful, you must needs acknowledge, that in comparison of them, you abound in mercies. You think their lesson, how to bear patiently such great afflictions as are upon them; is very hard; but the truth is, of both, you have the hardest lesson to learn. It is harder to know how to abound, then to know how to want. This may seem a paradox; but before we have done, I hope I shall make the truth of it out fully to you. Mariners use to say, if they have sea-room enough, they care not; but your greatest danger is in your sea-room. It is a saying of Augustine, and a very true one, Difficilius est pugnare cum libidine, quam cum cruse. Aug Omne malum facilius vincitur quam voluptas. Cypr. It is a harder thing to fight with a man's lusts, then to fight with the cross: And of Cyprian, There is no evil but is easier overcome than pleasure. There is more skill required to manage an East-Indie Ship, than a Boat in the Thames. The warm beams of the Sun gets the Traveller's cloak sooner from him, than the wind and storms can do. Many who fled for Religion in Queen Mary's time, knew how to want; but coming again in Queen Elizabeth's time, enjoying prosperity, they knew not how to abound, they proved naught. Manna could endure the heat of the fire, for the people baked it; Elisaeus cum magno honore & saeculi dignitate prophetiae donum habuit; Elias profugus & persecutus. Aug. de Mirab. l. 2. c. 26. but it melted before the heat of the Sun. Many have been melted by the heat of prosperity, who stood it out against the scorching heat of affliction. Elisha prayed for a double spirit of Elijah to be upon him; and why so? Augustine gives a reason, Elijah was persecuted, banished, lived in the wilderness; but Elisha was to live at Court, and therefore he had need of a double spirit, that he might know how to carry himself. First, there are more duties required of men who abound, then of those who want. A poor man who works hard for his living all day, what hath he to do, but in the morning to commend himself and his family to God, and so go forth to his labour? but you who abound, have a great deal of work to do, the great businesses that concern the public good of State and Church lie heavy upon your shoulders. Some think when they have great estates, they may live idly, that they have nothing to do but to spend their days in mirth and jollity; but certainly there are no men in the world who have greater work to do then Princes, noblemans, Lords, and such as are in place of dignity and power. Secondly, there is a greater variety of temptations in abundance, then in want. It is true, Poverty is not without its temptations, but Prosperity hath fare more attending it. Flies come thickest to sweet things; so Beelzebub, which signifies the god of flies, the prince of devils, loves most to be amongst men who do most abound. Rats and Mice come to full barns, rather than to empty places; so the vermin of temptations do more haunt abundance then want. We read of joseph's portion, Deut. 33.13. Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth, and fullness thereof. Thus we find Joseph was very rich, but we read of no Tribe that was to suffer so much opposition as the Tribe of Joseph. Gen. 49.22. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him. None of the Patriarches did so much abound as Joseph; none were so sorely shot at and hated as he was. Travellers fling not at a tree that is empty, but at such as is full of fruit. Thirdly, the temptations of those who abound, are more suitable than the temptations of such as suffer want. There is a tediousness in the temptations that those which are in afflictions meet with, they are tempted to impatience, and despair, and shifting courses; these are tedious even to nature: but the temptations in abundance are to satisfy our lust, to have our will. Lay rats bane in the window, and the child is in greater danger, then if poison were mixed in Aloes. Fourthly, Temptations in abundance are more subtle, they insinuate into the soul, and bring in much evil by things lawful. Mar. 4.19. the temptations that come by riches are called the deceitfulness of riches. Fiftly, But above all it is difficult to learn how to abound, because prosperity affords so much food and fuel to men's lusts, by which they are heated, pampered, and so grow strong. You will not set a child upon a lusty pampered horse. Difficile est esse in honore, fine tumore. Bern. The lust of pride, how is it fed by honours and riches, and what more unruly in the heart, than pride fed to the full? whereas in afflictions, the pride of men is almost starved. Hos. 13.6. They were filled, their heart was exalted, they have forgotten me. So uncleanness, men who have estates have fuel for that lust, and those who are above others, whom none dare meddle with, can satisfy it without control, this they account the bravery of their lives. The like may be said of Malice and Revenge. The Scripture gives us many evidences of this, that it is harder to know how to abound, then how to want: As, First, the frequent and solemn charges of God to those that abound, to take heed to themselves, more than to those that want. Deut. 6.11, 12. When thou shalt have eaten, and art full, then beware lest thou forget the Lord. Oh would to God this Scripture were writ over your full table. And Chap. 8. ver. 12. jest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelled therein, etc. Then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God. As if God should say, I am not so solicitous about you when you are in the wilderness, you will not so easily forget me when you are there, but when you are come to your houses, when your herds, your flocks, silver and gold are multiplied, oh than beware that you forget not the Lord. And Chap. 31. ver. 14, 15, 16. That thou mayst gather in thy corn, thy wine, and thine oil, that thou mayst eat and be full, take heed to yourselves that your hearts be not deceived. Virtus fidei periculis secura, securitate periclitatur. It is a good speech of Augustine, The virtue of faith in dangers is secure, and in security it is in danger. Secondly, we never read that ever a full or prosperous estate was so much as the occasion of the conversion of any to God: but we find in Scripture that an afflicted estate hath been blest to many for this end, 2 Chron. 33.12. Hos. 5.15. Job 33.14. Thirdly, few of God's children have been the worse for afflictions, but almost all of them, whom we read of in Scripture to have been in a prosperous estate, have been the worse for it. 2 Chron. 17.3. it is said, Jehoshaphat walked in the first ways of David. David's first ways were in his afflicted estate, and they were the best; notwithstanding all Solomon's wisdom, you see how foully he fell by his prosperity. Fourthly, it hath been the way of God constantly to keep his people down in a low estate, especially in the times of the Gospel. This holds forth to all the world, that it is a hard thing to know how to abound: for it the Saints were able to manage abundance as well as want, they should have it, in time of so great mercy, for they are heirs of the world. 3. The necessity of this lesson. But though the lesson be very hard, yet it is very necessary. First, if you abound, and know not how to abound, you will have many creatures which you have use of continually crying to God against you, for the bondage you bring them under. Rom. 8.22. who are they that do most keep the creatures in bondage, but those who have the most plentiful use of them, and subject them to their lusts? These creatures cry, Oh Lord, we were made for thee, and we would be working for thee, who art the chief good, and the highest end; but here is a man that hath us at his command, and he forceth us to that which is contrary to our nature: This cry of the creatures is very sad against thee who dost abuse them; they were never made to be serviceable to thy lusts; thou art an oppressor of the whole Creation. Secondly, you who abound, and know not how to abound, you sin against much mercy. The abuse of mercy is the greatest aggravation of a man's sin. Deut. 32.6. Do you thus requite the Lord? 2 Sam. 12.8. It is miserable, when there shall be no other use of mercy, but to aggravate thy sin. Nehem. 9.25, 26. They delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back. This Nevertheless is very dreadful; such a man is raised to a high estate and honour, Nevertheless he is a swearer, Nevertheless he is unclean, his family is profane. Thirdly, if you know not how to abound, you will grow extreme wicked. Job 21.13, 14, 15. They spend their days in wealth, therefore they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Jer. 2.7, 8. Their land is full of silver and gold, it follows, their land also is full of Idols. It may be thus said of many Families, They are full of riches, of the good blessings of God, and they are also as full of sin. What is the greatness of many men's spirits, but this, that they dare boldly sin against the God of heaven? they account it their excellency to go beyond others in wickedness, they glory in their shame, like those Nobles I have read of in the Isle of Samobarre in the East-Indies, who stigmatised themselves with a hot iron, in token of honour. Fourthly, if you learn not how to abound, you are the men who have your portion in this world, like those Ps. 17.14. I have read of Gregory, when he was advanced to high preferment, professed no Scripture was ever so terrible in his ears, as that, Luk. 6.24. Ye have received your consolation; it sounded in his ears as Jerome said that Scripture, Arise ye dead and come to judgement, sounded in his. If God should say to any of you, You shall have all your estares as full as ever, yea with a hundred fold increase, but that shall be your portion, all the good that ever you are like to have from me, there would be cause for you to wring your handss, to fall down upon your faces in the anguish of your souls, to cry and howl at the hearing of such a doom as this. For though it is true in regard of your sinfulness you should judge yourselves unworthy of the least crumb of bread, yet woe unto you that ever you were borne, if your portion should be the enjoyment of the whole world; you had need then learn how to abound; for if you do not, God thereby doth manifest that he hath separated you to this doom, to give you no other portion but what you have here. Fiftly, you had need learn how to abound, for otherwise there goes along with your abundance a secret curse of God. Psal. 69.22, 23. Let their table be made a snare to them, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap; but few understand this: it is their misery, yea a part of the curse that is upon them, for so it follows, Let their eyes be darkened that they see not. Sixtly, you had need learn how to abound; for i'll you do not, you will do abundance of hurt in the places where you live. A man who abounds, and hath not grace with his abundance, is a public evil to the Country where he lives. Those who are mean poor people, though they be wicked, yet they can do no great hurt; but a man who is in honour and esteem in the world, and hath a great estate, if he be not godly, he is very mischievous. A little weed in a garden is not very hurtful; but if there grows a great Elder-tree in the midst of it, it spoils all about it. Seventhly, your abundance will endanger your salvation if you learn not how to abound. chrysostom upon the Hebrews saith, he wonders how any Governor can be saved; and our Saviour, Matth. 19.24. 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. Eightly, if you learn not this lesson, if ever you be brought into afflictions, oh how grievous will they be! your abundance will prepare matter for the terrors of your consciences, yea it will make death very terrible, when you shall look back and consider how much you have had from God, and how little you have done for him; yea, how much ye have done against him: death will strain out the sweet, but leave the guilt. 4. The mystery of godliness there is in learning how to abound. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I am instructed. The strength of reason may go fare in ordering a prosperous condition so as not to be very offensive, but there is a great mystery of godliness in knowing how to abound in a christian spiritual way. 1. A godly man learns to abound by being faithful, Prov. 28.20. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. Many think the only way to get abundance is by being false, by shifting courses; they dare not trust to the ways of faithfulness, they see a mighty Current of opposition against them, but the godly man desires neither to get nor to enjoy more in the world, than he may have by being faithful. 2. He learns to abound by often resigning up all his abundance to God, not by keeping it to his own proper advantage; Lord I profess all to be thine, to enjoy nothing but in order to thee; take all, improve all, lay out all for the praise of thine own name; by this he enjoys his abundance with more comfort and freedom of spirit. The oftener any thng is given up into God's hands, and comes out of them to us, the better it is; those men who having got any thing out of God's hands once, dare not venture to put it into them again, enjoy not the comfort and blessing of what they have; that man who can daily as freely and cheerfully resign what he hath to God, as receive any thing from him, is the only man that is blessed in what he enjoies in this world. 3. He seeks to preserve his estate, and to enrich himself by communicating what he hath to the necessities of others, and the public. This is a mystery to the world. Isay 32.8. The liberal man deviseth liberal things: and what then? so he may lose all he hath? No, by liberal things he shall stand. He thinks it more gain to part with any thing to do good by, then to keep it for himself. 1 Tim. v. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded, that they trust not in uncertain riches, but that they be rich in good works. Here is a way of being rich that the world is not acquainted with, by being rich in good works; the more he lays out in good works, the richer he is. God himself accounts his riches to be in the works of mercy, Ephes. 2.7. That he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us. The Apostle, 2 Cor. 9.8. brings this argument to move men to communicate their estates for the good of others; God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. 4. He learns how to abound by moderating his affections in his abundance, by the moderation of his joy he increaseth his joy, Phil. 4.4, 5. Rejoice, and again rejoice. This is a good exhortation. Well then, let us let out our hearts to the uttermost in joy: nay, saith the Apostle, you must take care you keep your affections within bounds. Let your moderation be known to all men. You will have more solid comfort in the moderation of your affections, than others shall have in the greatest liberty they take to give up themselves to mirth and jollity. 5. By his abundance, his humility is increased; to be humble in the enjoyment of abundance is much, but to be humbled by it is a mystery. 2 Sam. 7.18. The Lord having spoken of great riches and honour he bestowed upon David, and would still further bestow upon him; he tells him his house should be great among the great men of the earth; was david's heart puffed up by this? No; Then (saith the Text) went King David, and sat before the Lord, and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto? wherefore thou art great oh God. Saul was little in his own eyes, before God made him great: But when he was made great, God was less esteemed by him. The greater David was, the less he was in his own eyes, and the greater was God in them; not, Lord I am a happy man, that I am made so great; but who am I, and what is my house? but thou art great oh Lord. 6. Though he judges himself unworthy of the least good he hath, yet his heart is raised in a holy manner above all his abundance; at the same time he judges himself unworthy of the least crumb, and yet he thinks all creatures in heaven and earth too low for him to be his portion, this is a mystery. No man knows in a spiritual way how to abound, Sive vivimus, sive morimur, Domini sumus; non tantum Genitivo casu, sed Nominat. plur. vitae & morti dominamur. but he who is above all his abundance. Luther speaking of that place, Whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lords: This, saith he, is not only to be understood in the Genitive case singular, Domini; but in the nominative plural: we are Domini, the Lords of life and death, whether we die or live; though we be not Lords of so much Land, of such Manors; we cannot Lord it over so many Tenants, yet over life and death we are Lords; we can Lord it over them. Death takes away all your possessions and Lordships from you, but death is part of the possessions of the Saints, they are Lords over it. 1 Cor. 3.22. Life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours. A gracious heart who lies low under God and Christ, yet hath all other things under his feet; yea, the lower he lies, the more hath he; all the bravery, pomp, and glory of the world, under his feet: great is this mystery of godliness. 7. According to the increase of his abundance, he seeks a proportionable measure of holiness. Solomon desired much wisdom, because he had a great people to govern; men who have sensual hearts, think a little Religion is enough for a Gentleman or Nobleman; it is for poor men who have little else to mind or content themselves in, to look after Religion in the strictness of it. But if God gives a gracious man abundance, he doth not think that measure of grace that he had before, will serve his turn now, except God causeth his grace to abound as well as his estate and honour, he looks upon himself as miserable. 8. He is as much apprehensive and sensible of his dependence upon God in the height of prosperity, as in the depth of adversity. Hence Noblemen and Princes are taught by Christ to come every day to God's gate to beg their bread. 9 A godly man enjoys his abundance aright by getting all he hath sanctified to him by the Word and Prayer. 1 Tim. 4.4, 5. All a man hath is sanctified when it is consecrated to the last end, for God, and for the furtherance of eternal good; as time and place is sanctified when there is a consecration upon them for God; so when the blessing of God is upon my estate, all I have, so as all works to my eternal good in the glory of God, now it is sanctified to me. But how comes it to be so? By the Word and Prayer. 1. Through the Word of the Gospel, revealing the restitution of my right, forfeited by sin, yea a higher title than ever I had in Adam. 2. By the Word of Promise, which gives nothing without a blessing to it. If indeed I had what I enjoy merely in a natural way of general providence, I could not expect such a blessing; but now enjoying all by the Word, I enjoy it all in a spiritual way, all is sanctified to me. Hence of all men, Gentlemen and Noblemen have most cause to be much conversant in Scripture; it would be a sad charge upon any of you, who abound so much in the world, that you have not a Bible in your closerts, or seldom look into it. And by Prayer. The more any man hath, the more he had need to pray. Carnal men will pray much in affliction, but to be put on to prayer by prosperity, this is rare. Gentlemen had need pray more than poor men, Noblemen more than Gentlemen. But if this be a truth, certainly it is a mystery; few of you think so, fewer do so. 5. The excellency of this lesson. 1. When this is learned, grace in you will be very conspicuous; it will appear in the lustre of it as a Diamond in a golden ring, Magna faelicitatis est, à faelicitate non vinci. Aug. or rather set in a Crown, sparkles, and is more glorious then in a dirty rag. Zech. 9.16. there is a Prophecy that the Saints shall be as the stones of a Crown lifted up; it is in part made good, when grace appears in the glory of it in you who are in eminent place. 2. You may do abundance of good: many souls will bless God for you, and for all the abundance you enjoy, of which there is so good an improvement. Blessed be God that ever such men lived in such places and times; the Cause of God, and the good of his Saints, how hath it been promoted by them! will not this be a greater good to you, than all your titles of honour, and bravery of your lives? Judges 5.9. My heart is towards the governor's of the people which offer themselves willingly: Bless ye the Lord. Because of the great service that a rich man may do, Paul was so moved, when he had liked to have lost Sergius Paulus, the Deputy of the country, Act. 13.7, 8. etc. he set his eyes upon Elimas', who sought to turn him away from the faith, which he began to hearken after and embrace, and said, Oh full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 3. This argues much strength of grace, Magni pectoris inter secunda moderatio. Sen. as the brains resisting abundance of vapours, so as not to be hurt by them, argues the strength of it. 4. From these who have learned thus, God receives most of that rent of praise and honour that is due to him for all the good things of the earth, he lets out to the children of men. You who are great Landlords, complain much that in these times you cannot receive your rents, they were never so ill paid as they are now: call yourselves to account, how well you pay your rents to the Lord, of whom you hold all you have. You esteem well of such as are certain and punctual in paying your rents, God esteems high of those who render to him in a constant way his rent for those many plentiful enjoyments they have in this world. 5. There is no fear that adversity, that any afflictions should do hurt to such who know thus how to use prosperity. If you can deliver yourselves from the deceits of the one, it will not be very difficult to resist the temptations of the other. Nulla infaelicitas frangit, quem nulla faelicitas corrumpit. 6. This is the more excellent, because it is so rare. Where is the man who is able to stand against the temptation of a prosperous estate? if Adversity hath slain her thousands, Prosperity hath slain her ten thousands. Rara virtus humilitas honorata. 7. How sweetly and comfortably may such die, who have honoured God with their riches and honours? They may with a holy boldness in the close of all, look up to God, and say with Nehemiah, Chap. 13. verse. last, Remember me oh my God for good. Let God be remembered with your goods, and he will remember you for good. 6. He that will be skilful in this mystery of knowing how to abound, must learn also these lessons. 1. The lesson of the fear of God. Deut. 6.11, 12. God forewarns his people that they should not forget him, when they enjoyed abundance of all good things. Ver. 13. he adds as a means thereunto, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and serve him. You must not presume to do what you list; let the fear of God be upon you to keep you from pride, wantonness, and licentiousness. We read of Nehemiah, Chap. 5. though he were in honour, and had much power in his hands to satisfy his will upon men as others did, they made their servants rule over the people, ver. 15. but so did not I, says he, why? because of the fear of God. My Lords, God hath raised you high above others, much power is in your hands, take heed of abusing it to oppression. If your spirits be too generous and noble to oppress any yourselves take heed that your servants be not made to rule with rigour over the people. That great outcry against Committees for rigorous oppressing, partial ways, and against some of your servants for exacting extreme fees, comes not it may be so high as to your ears; of all oppressions, the oppressions by servants, by men of mean quality, is the worst. Oh that you all could say, If others do thus, as for us we do not so, because of the fear of God; whatsoever other Lords have done, do, or shall do, in the abuse of their power, and the great trust committed to them, God forbidden we should do so, for the fear of God is upon us. 2. Learn the lesson of the different principles from whence creature comforts come, sometimes from Love, sometimes from Anger and hatred; Admonendi sunt qui hoc mundo prosperantur, ut solerter considerent praes●rti vitae prosperitas, aliquando datur ut ad meliorem vitam provocet, aliquando ut in aeternum plenius damnet. Greg. the right understanding this, would cause you to be unsatisfied in all your abundance, till you know from what principle it flows. The very searching for satisfaction in this, would have great power upon your spirits, to order and regulate them in the enjoyment of your abundance. 3. Learn the lesson of your own unworthiness, why should God give you rather than others? who hath made you to differ? 4. Learn that all you have are talents that your great Lord hath betrusted you with to trade for him; you are but Stewards of what you have; you are to give an account of all; you had need then keep your books even. How can you give account of your mercies, when you cannor count them? 5. Learn that man is borne to labour, yea the greatest upon the earth not exempted; none of you are born to live like the Leviathan. Psal. 104.26. There is the Leviathan, whom how hast made to play in the sea. You came not into the world, your lives are not continued for this end; there are other labours in the world besides servile, that God hath fitted for the most noble spirits. 6. Learn the excellency of spiritual riches, of true riches; the least degree of grace, yea every gracious work is more worth than heaven and earth, says Luther. He professed he preferred the understanding of one of the Psalms, above all the riches of the world. If we were got up to heaven, the earth would seem as little to us, as now we being upon the earth, the stars seem to be. 7. Learn that the least sin is a greater evil, than all earthly prosperity can be good. When you commit any one sin, in that you are more miserable, than you can be happy in all your honours & estates. If you were throughly instructed in this, than 1. you would take heed of getting or preferring riches or honours by any way of sin. Abraham would not have it said, that the King of Sodom made him rich: let it never be said that sin hath made me rich, or preserved me being so. 2. If you had learned this, whatsoever you have or shall get by sin, you will certainly restore to the uttermost of your power. 3. This would make you take heed of the abuse of what you have to sin: for it tells you you shall do yourselves more hurt by any sin, than all you have in the world can do you good. 8. Learn, this time of your life is the time that God hath set to provide for eternity. This would make you serious, and see need so to be; it would take off much of the vanity and jollity of your spirits, whereas now every thought that does but tend to any seriousness, you think is melancholy. This would make you take heed how you spend so much time in the enjoyment of the things of this world, or make any use of them, that might be the least hindrance to you in that great work you live for, this would cause you to improve all you have to the uttermost, for the furtherance of the Gospel and your own spiritual good. In doing thus, you will learn how to abound. APPLICATION. FIrst, you see of what great use Religion is to great men. You who are Noblemen and Gentlemen, who have great estates to leave to your children, are not your desires and endeavours that they may have breeding suitable to your estates you intent to leave them? how vile a thing is it in the eyes of all men, for one to have a great estate, but no breeding! he is a fool, he knows not how to manage his estate now he hath it, he will quickly embezzle it away, and undo himself. Why should you not then account it a great evil for yourselves or children, to have honours and estates, but no skill to know how to use them for God, and the furtherance of your or their eternal good? It is only godliness learned in the school of Christ teacheth this. This is the most necessary, the most honourable breeding. Breed up your young heirs, and the rest of your children, in the knowledge, and as much as in you lies, in the love of godliness, that when they come to enjoy those fair estates they succeed you in, they may be eminent for the honour of God, and the good of their Country, in their generation. Be in love with godliness, ye rich men, and especially the Nobles of our Land; how happy were we if there were a hopeful succession of Nobility and Gentry! our sufferings are from the disaffection so many of these have had to Religion; I hope there is yet a time when godliness shall be honoured upon the earth by great ones. Seek for grace for yourselves and posterity; God hath given you plenty of the lower springs, seek the upper. Use 2 2. Those are rebuked who only take care to get abundance, but are not at all solicitous to learn how to abound. Judas 12. this among other characters is given of a wicked man, that he eats without fear, he takes in freely the delight of the creature; but there is no fear lest God should not have that glory that is due to him from it, this he minds not at all; we have not heretofore learned how to abound, Let us justify God in cutting us short now of what formerly we had; the abuse of abounding that was formerly, was most dreadful; if God should now only take off the excess there was in the Kingdom, though we be pinched for a while, the evil would not be much; our blood grew very rank by our fat pastures. No marvel though God now let's us blood. Luther speaking of excess in meats and drinks in his time, Si nunc Adam resurgeret, & videret hanc insaniam omnium ordinum, profecto credo quod prae stupore tanquam lapis staret. Luth. in Gen. c. 3. hath this speech, If Adam did now rise again and see the madness of all sorts of men, I believe he would stand senseless through sudden astonishment. Few places in the world have been guilty of greater excess than we have been. I have heard of a Nobleman in this Kingdom that said, Fifteen hundred pounds a year was little enough to keep him sweet with linen. Surely his body was not like Alexander's. The hand of God is at this time heavy upon many of the Nobility and Gentry of the Land, it is most righteous that his sore displeasure should be shown against that extreme wanton excess there was among them, prostrating those good blessings of God wherein they abounded, to the satisfying their base lusts. Let those who yet abound, take heed of this; the sin in itself it is very great; but when it hath these aggravations, it is vile indeed. 1. If you abuse your abundance, when others suffer want, when thousands are ready to perish for want of necessaries, as at this day, how great is then your sin before God? it hath now a loud cry in God's ears against you. 2. When God hath raised you from mean beginnings, the more remarkable God's hand appears in giving you abundance, the greater is your sin in the abuse of it. 3. If your estates have been preserved through many difficulties, and that divers times when you have even given all for gone, yet God hath come in and continued to you the enjoyment of a very full estate. What do you think in your consciences was God's end in continuing it to you? Was it that you should yet have farther opportunity to satisfy your lusts, and to be hinderers of good, and promoters of evil in the places where you live? God forbidden. 4. If you enjoy your estates still, notwithstanding your consciences tell you that you have been guilty of very great abuse of them: What a wonder is it that God hath not violently rend away all from thee, or thee from what thou hast thus abused all this while; and dost thou continue to provoke God against thee still? is not thy former abuse of mercies enough, and too much, but wilt thou add farther? The Lord strike thy heart. 5. If the mercies thou hast be renewed mercies, after grievous afflictions have been upon thee, after God hath brought thee low, he hath restored a great deal again, it may be as much, if not more than you had formerly, and will you again abuse his mercies? with what face wilt thou look upon God, when thou shalt come to give an account of this? 6. If in times of opportunities of great service, God gives thee abundance, and thou dost now instead of taking the opportunity, mind nothing else but to satisfy thy lust, living uselessly in all that abundance thou enjoyest, thou art vile in God's eyes; if some other had half thy estate and means of doing good that thou hast, how useful would he be! God should have much service from him, he would bless God for those opportunities thou mindest not at all. If there be any light of conscience in thee, oh that it might cause some misgiving thoughts to arise in thee, that may wound thy heart this day for this thy great sin. 7. If after thou hast promised to God in a solemn way, that if he shall preserve thy estate, or restore thee to the enjoyment of it, thou wilt give it up to his honour; many thousands in this Kingdom have done thus of late in their earnest seekings of God for their preservation and deliverance. If when God shall settle thee again, thou forgettest him, regarding little the making good thy engagement to him, know, that not only sin, but sin with a high aggravation is upon thee. 8. If together with thy abundance the means of grace doth also abound, whereby thou mightst learn how to abound, and yet thou dost not know, nay you little mind it, this still increaseth the guilt of thy sin. If it were in times of Popery, of darkness, it were not so much; but being at such a time, the guilt of thy sin is raised very high. Seeing there is so much required to this learning how Use 3 to abound, let those who have not abundance, have their desires after it moderated; you who are poor, be not too much troubled with the thoughts of your poverty; be not so impatient and impetuous in your desires after riches; do not envy those who are above you; you see what a hazard there is of miscarriage in the enjoying abundance, it may be God saw that you did not know how to abound, therefore hath he in mercy denied that to thee, that in wrath he hath given to others. Let thy heart be quiet, and submit to God, in that condition God hath set thee. 4. You who have rich friends, you see what cause you have to pray much for them, they are set in slippery places, no men have more need of prayers than they. 5. But the close of all is a word of Exhortation. Set your hearts to these truths God hath this day set before you. Right Honourable and beloved, consider what a mercy it is to you, that the greatest work you have to do, is to improve mercies. The work of thousand thousands is to get mercies, you have them, and all you have to do from morning to night is to bless God for mercies, and to improve them. If God hath taught you this lesson to know how to abound, bless his Name. What? all this honour, this great estate, and heaven too? What? shall these things which are means of undoing others, help forward my salvation? how excellent is thy loving kindness, oh Lord! While you are above and abound, let your hearts be kept sensible of the mean, low condition of others, of their straits, their oppressions; let it be your honour to relieve the oppressed: 2 Cor. 8.7. As ye abound in every thing, see you abound in this grace also. He means the grace of liberality. 2 Sam. 24.23. it is said of Araunah, he gave like a King. Some of you have gloried, that you have spent like Princes; let it be rather your glory, that you give like Princes. You have been means to help this oppressed Kingdom, now, as jer. cap. 28. ver. 29. presented his supplication, that he might not return to the house of jonathan to die there; so we this day to your Lordships, let us not be brought again into bondage, and have nothing to lighten our bondage, but a new name. Let not violence be used to force people to things spiritual that they know not, if those who now have but food and raiment should have great penalties inflicted upon them for not submitting to what they yet have had no means to instruct them in; how grievous would it be? The Votes of Parliament are to be honoured, and the judgement of an Assembly of godly and learned men is not to be slighted; but that which must subject men's consciences in matters concerning Christ and his worship, must be light from the word. Let not the greatness of your power be exercised upon those who do what they can to know the mind of jesus Christ, and would fain understand and practise more; only they dare not go further than they see Christ before them. You cannot say men are obstinate and will not see, for what means hath the generality of the Kingdom had to see ground out of Scripture for such great changes? To use force upon people before they have means to teach them; is to seek to beat the nail in by the hammer of authority, without making way by the wimble of instruction. Indeed, if you have to deal with rotten or soft sappy wood, the hammer only may make the nail enter presently; but if you meet with sound wood, with heart of oak, though the hammer, and hand that strikes be strong, yet the nail will hardly go in; it will turn crooked or break; or at least, if it enters, it may split that wood it enters into; and if so, it will not hold long: you have not your end, consider you have to deal with English consciences; there is no country so famous for firm strong oaks as England; you will find English consciences to be so. My Lords, you are advanced to high power and honour in a Kingdom, where Christ hath as many dear Saints of his, as (I had almost said) in all the world besides; he expects you should use them kindly; they have been faithful to you, even such as cannot fully come up to you in some things you have published to the world; where hath any one of them (though cried out upon, as troublers of the Kingdom) falsified their trust in any thing you have committed to them? you sit here in peace, and enjoy your honours with abundance of mercies; in part through the blessings of God upon their faithfulness and courage in venturing their lives for you: God forbidden you should fall upon them, when your turns are served by them. Listen not to any who shall whisper such suggestions, or boldly vent such things as tend to the exasperation of your spirits this way. There is a great outcry against the toleration of all religions, & we are willing to join against such a toleration; but that which fills the mouths of many in this, is the heat of their spirits against those that differ from them in any thing, that they might with the more strength be able by this to strike at them: suffer not your power to be abused to serve men's designs, be faithful with God, encourage those that fear him, & God will take care of your honours; he will do good to you, and your posterity after you. Do not hearken to those who tell you these men would lay all level, they would make no difference between the Nobleman, and Trades-man. Yes; we know honour is to be given to whom honour belongs, God hath made a distance between man and man, it is fit it should be acknowledged and observed. There is no such way to preserve and increase your honours, as by joining to those whom you are sure to find faithful. Account the service of God your greatest honour. 2 Pet. 1.17. it is said of Christ, he received honour and glory when there came a voice from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. If it be the glory, the excellent glory of Christ, to please his Father; surely it must needs then be yours. Let godliness be set up by you in these latter times, God is about to advance Religion, and happy are you that ever you were born, if you be made instrumental for it. Let there be something spared out of that abundance God hath given you for the furtherance of the Gospel; how great the want of able men fitted for the Ministry is, the woeful dark places of the Kingdom give sad testimony, except God persuade the hearts of those who are of estates, and have power to help, dreadful darkness will come upon a great part of the Kingdom, before we are ware. There are now many hopeful youths godly, and fitted for the University; in the Western parts; especially, where their parents have been plundered, spoiled of their estates, now wholly disenabled to maintain them at the University. Here are crying objects of charity, yea, the relieving of them that they may be fitted for the ministry, would be a work fit for the charity and piety of a State to be exercised in. If Learning be not maintained, not only Ignorance, but Barbarism will come in upon us; the Lord deliver us from that judgement of an ignorant Ministry. I this day in the Name of Jesus Christ beseech you, who have had your estates, or a great part of them preserved, that before you sleep, you would in your secret thoughts separate something for this so great, so good a work; this would be a good testimony of your thankfulness to God for the preservation of them from the common burning. If some of you would but set aside so much for the promoting of the preaching of Jesus Christ as you have heretofore spent upon your dogs, the blessing of many souls may be upon you and your posterity; and if hereafter yourselves or some of your children should come into such congregations, to whom you have been the means of sending the Gospel, and you or they should hear that people blessing God for those who were the instruments of so great a blessing to their souls, would not this be a more delightful sound in your or their ears, than a cry of dogs? The same charge that heretofore went for that, would help very much in this so great a work, so worthy of those who profess they live and enjoy all they have, that they may promote the honour of Jesus Christ in their generation. And further, I beseech your Lordships, that the door of the preaching of the Gospel may not be straitened, to keep those out of it, who have hearts to it, and abilities fitted for it. There are at this day, thousands of Congregations in England, who want able Preachers, especially in remote parts, as Cumberland, Westmoreland, divers parts of Yorkshire, many live like Heathens, scarce knowing that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, whether there be a Christ, or a holy Ghost or no. Now there are divers godly, learned young men, who have been called into those parts, and have been willing from their pity to those poor souls, to quit those places, in Lords, Knights, and gentlemen's houses, where they had comfortable maintenance, to go into those places; but they not having yet studied the Controversies of Church-government, could not for the present see sufficient ground to satisfy their consciences in that way of Ordination, by a company of Ministers of several Congregations, made up into a Presbytery, only by the Civil power, limited to the power of Ordination, having no Church act to make them a Presbytery, nor no power of government in them; or if government that extended beyond their ministerial charge for Word and Sacraments, there being so many Controversies in this point, and being new to most men, it is no marvel though young men who are conscientious, and love to search into things that they may understand that which may bear up their consciences, have doubts arising, which for the present they know not how to satisfy themselves in: Now shall these who are every way (otherwise) fitted for the Ministry, be denied the preaching of the Gospel in such remote dark places of the Kingdom, though they agree in all other things with their brethren, merely because they cannot satisfy themselves in this scruple of conscience? God forbidden. I do not here stand to plead for a liberty for every man to step up into the Pulpit that will; it is fit men should be examined and approved of, and so sent to this work; but that I plead for, is, that men subjecting themselves to what examination you please, and having full testimony for learning and godliness, may not be not laid aside from preaching merely because they have not that Ordination that is now appointed for such as shall enjoy Live and Ecclesiastical preferment in the Kingdom. Yea farther, I humbly desire to present this to your Honours, that when men come to be examined for places, the judgement of such who are willing to conceal them, that they might not make disturbance, may not be drawn forth by having questions put to them, What they think of that Presbyterial Government that is now set up? and if they yet are not satisfied in their consciences about it, then to be dismissed. I am not now disputing about what you have determined, God and your Lordships have called me to another place, where I have spoke my conscience about it: But this is all I say here, Is not this way of Government presented to your Lordships only, that it may be? is it established by you, as that which ought to be Jure Divino? are you then so certain of this or that way of Ordination appointed, that you can take it upon your consciences it is of such necessity, that it is fit millions of souls should never come to know Jesus Christ, than this way of Ordination & Government should not be observed and submitted to? If Congregations should make their moans to God, Oh Lord, we here sit in darkness and the shadow of death, we have none sent to us to show us thy ways, to reveal Jesus Christ, to break the bread of life to us; such able and godly men are willing to come amongst us out of pity to our souls, but there are questions about Ordination and Presbyteries that men who are in power do so much stand upon and stick to (which ye● are very controversal among godly and learned men, and many of themselves have but of late looked into) that because they are scrupled, we must still continue in our darkness; these men who would bring us the light of the Gospel, must not come amongst us: would not such a moan as this made to Christ from poor souls who are ready to receive the Gospel break your hearts? I am persuaded it would. I have no more to say, but to express my desires to heaven, that God would crown the enjoyment of your Honours, your power, your estates here, with his grace, and your souls and bodies with glory before his Saints and blessed Angels in the day of Jesus Christ. FINIS.