A Sermon preached before the Prince, at Richmond, this present year, 1606.  
By B: Charier, D: of divinity, and one of the Prince his chaplains.  
 printer's device of J. Roberts (McKerrow 112) NOSCE TE IPSVM NE QVID NIMIS LOVE AND live  
AT LONDON, ❧ Printed by I. R. for edmond mats, dwelling at the sign of the hand& 〈◇〉 in Fleetstreete   
james. 1. verse 15. 
Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  
ALl wicked men haue been wont to lay the fault of their sins vpon God: but the holy Apostle in this place teacheth us, that in enquiring the cause of sin, there is no further search to be made, then to our own lust. In the description whereof, we are here to observe four things: First, the conception of sin, Lust when it hath conceived; then the birth of sin, it bringeth forth sin; thirdly, the growth of sin, sin when it is finished; and lastly the fruit of sin, it bringeth forth death▪  
Lust, when it hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, it bringeth forth death. Of which that I may speak profitably, to the killing of sin, to the preventing of death, and to the curing of souls, I shall desire you to join with me, in humble and hearty prayer unto almighty GOD, in the Name and mediation of his son Iesus Christ, that it would please him to assist us with his holy Spirit, and to grant to every one of us true repentance for all our sins, a liuelie faith in all his promises, a godly conversation according to his holy commandments in all our lives.  
And in these prayers, let us not be mindful of ourselves alone, but as feeling members of the mystical body of Iesus Christ, let us pray for all our fellow members, dispersed over the face of the whole earth; and more especially, let us pray for this Church wherein we live; and herein for the Kings most excellent majesty, james by the grace of GOD, King of great britain, france, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and supreme governor of this Church, in causes both ecclesiastical and civil. For our gracious queen Anne, for the noble Prince Henry, and for all that royal family, that it may please GOD to enlighten thē with his Spirit, to enrich them with his Grace, to preserve them with his mercy, and to crown them with his glory.  
Let us pray for all that are of his majesties most honourable privy council, for all the nobility, for all the clergy, by what name or title soever they be called; for both the universities, Cambridge, and Oxford; for all the Commons of this Land; for all that are afflicted, especially those that fight under the banner of Christ, and labour under the burden of their sins.  
Last of all▪ for ourselves here gathered together, for the hearing and speaking of Gods most holy Word, beseeching him to make it unto us, as it is in itself, a Word of power to the beating down of sin in us, and to the raising us again unto newness of life: that we being made conformable unto our saviour Christ his death, and humiliation in this life, may be made partakers of his Resurrection, and glorification in the life to come. In whose Name let us conclude our prayers, in that form which he himself hath taught us in his holy gospel, saying▪ Our Father which art in heaven▪ &c.  
Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  
You see here the Apostle, in the description of sin, useth an allegory, taken from the generation of man. And if you do observe it, you shall find, that there is eadem methodus generationis, et corruptionis, the same method in the natural generation of man unto life, and in the unnatural corruption of man unto death. here is a Father, and a Mother, and a Midwife, and a Nurse.  
The Father of sin, is the devill, the Mother is Lust, the Midwife is Reason, the Nurse is hypocrisy. For the devill by wicked suggestion begetteth sin as a Father, Concupiscence by wicked imaginations conceiveth sin as a Mother, Reason, by wicked consent, bringeth forth sin as a Midwife, and hypocrisy by wicked concealment, bringeth up sin as a Nurse.  
When Concupiscence lay first in Child-bed in the great Chamber Paradise, and gave life unto sin, that sin might fill all the World with death, shee took this very order for the bringing forth of her first begotten, as may appear in the third chapter of Genesis. First she kept company with the devill, who suggested unto her, distrust in GOD, and trust in herself, which is the seed of all sins.  
Secondly, shee conceived sin by thinking of it: The forbidden fruit was faire to the eye, pleasant to the taste, and a thing to be desired for the experience of good and evil.  
Thirdly, she came unto Adam, and got him to consent, shee gave unto him, and he did eat.  
Lastly, least her young born babe should perish for want of keeping, shee committed it to Nurse hypocrisy, who sowed together the fig leaves of excuse, and nursed it by concealing it.  
This old beldame Concupiscence, the Mother of sin, is now very old, above 5000. yeeres, and yet she is not past children.  
The devill was never more busy to beget sin, Lust never more pregnant to conceive sin, Reason never more easy to be entreated to bring forth sin, and hypocrisy never more ready at hand to set new-borne sin vpon her lap, and to dandle it by excusing it.  
And for the first, the Father of sin the devill, he doth not onely beget those horrible villainies, and prodigious exploits, which every one may perceive to be his children, and to come from hell: but he is much more dangerous, whilst he doth secretly infinuate himself under another shape, and come unto us like an angel of light, for by this means, there is no member of our bodies, nor no corner of our souls, wherein he hath not a bed of fornication.  
he begetteth falsehood in our harts, lightness in our heads, adultery in our eyes, blaspemie in our tongues, oppression in our hands, and intemperancy in our whole bodies. he turneth beauty into wantonness, strength into violence, wit into wilfulness, learning into dissension, devotion into superstition, religion into treason. always corrupting the meaner gifts with hypocrisy, as putting Colocinthis into the poridge pot, and the greater with pride, as putting Cantharides into the oil pot.  
Now for the preventing of the devill, the father of sin, that he do not beget sin vpon us, there be two things necessary, first, to see the devill by faith, and then to shut him out by good works.  
For the first, it is a matter of faith to see the devill: for he that doth not believe there is a devill, doth not believe there is a God. And now adays, faith is waxed so very weak, that many begin to make question whether there be a devill or no, because they never saw any. indeed in the time of superstition, the devill did often appear in some bodily shape, and he had reason for it: for by that means he drove men forward unto desperation, to which in those dayes they were very much inclined: but in these dayes of profaneness, the case is altered, he will not now appear in his likeness, least he should hold men back from presumption, unto which they are running head-long.  
If we will see any thing with our bodily eyes, it is requisite that the object be rightly placed, that is, that it be not placed on the sun side wee stand, nor that it be not placed too near vs. Wee cannot see a thing on the sun side wee are, neither behind us, or if it be placed just beside vs.  
If a man would plainly behold one on this side of the room, he must go to the other side, so he that would see the devill in pride, shall never perceive him as long as he is proud, he stands on the same side the devill is, but let him go over to the other side of humility, and then he shall plainly see the devill in his pride: so in drunkenness, so in whoredom, so in any other sin; if a man will see the devill, he must first go to the opposite virtues, before he can possible perceive him.  
The second thing is, that we do not stand too near, for if our eye be too near the object, the beams of the sight will be confounded; there must be a mediocrity of distance: For as in the Optikes, if a man would perceive the arte of a prospective picture, he must go a distance from it, and look with artificial eyes, or Spectacles fitted for the purpose, even so, if a man would perceive this prospect of the devill, with all his deep shadows, and profound deceits, he must first endeavour to go from him, that he may perceive him:& then look not with the eyes of nature, or reason, which will never, or very hardly discern him, but with the eyes of faith, and of Gods word, which will plainly discover him.  
The second means to prevent his suggestions, is to shut him out by good works. Adam was appointed by GOD to work in Paradise, and to dress the Garden; as long as he was at his work he was safe enough, but when he gave himself to idleness, and to hear the talk& dalliance of eve, he was subject to the devils temptation. And therfore S. jerome doth very fitly exhort his friend Rusticus that he would be always doing some good thing, Vt quando diabolus venit, inveniat occupatum, that the doors may be shut, and he not at leisure to give him entertainment.  
For as a bird, as long as shee is flying is safe enough from the Fowler, but if she sit still vpon the perch, shee is every bodies mark, even so a man, who was born to labour, as a bide to fly, as long as he is studying, reading, praying, or about any honest exercise, or work of his vocation, the devill will not much meddle with him, he hath no opportunity, he cannot hit him; but if once a man give over himself unto idleness, and dissolve his mind with sloth and negligence, he is a fair mark for the devill to shoot at, he will be sure to be suggesting the seed of one sin or another.  
Well then, if we will exclude the devill, let us also be always tilling the Paradise of our souls by one good work, or other, that GOD may delight to walk therein: and so Christ himself will become Ianitor cordis unto us, and will be as ready to be the doorkeeper of our harts, to keep out our enemies, as david was willing to be the doorkeeper of Gods house, to let in his friends.  
When you haue thus kept out the devill, the Father of sin, the next care is to look to Lust, or Concupiscence the mother of sin. Where by the way we are to observe, that by Concupiscence is meant, not onely the desire of fleshly company, but also the general corruption of our nature, prove to all sin. So the Apostle taketh it in the fift to the Galathians, where he reckoneth up as fruits of the flesh, not onely adultery, fornication, and uncleanness, but also drunkenness, murder, envy, Idolatry, witchcraft, and such like.  
For Concupiscence is as fruitful of all manner of sin, as the Egyptian islands are of all manner of vermin, of which Diodorus Siculus reporteth, that for the speedines of generation, you may see the former part a formed rat,& the hinder part an vnformed lump in the same piece of earth.  
The devill hath no sooner suggested the seed of Pride in Honor, but Lust conceiveth it by thinking of it, and travaileth in the imagination of high places, and groweth big with Sedition and Rebellion; and as soon as it can get opportunity, it bringeth it forth.  
The devill hath no sooner suggested the seed of Wrath in private offences, but Lust conceiveth it, by thinking of it, and travaileth with the sweetness of Reuenge, and groweth big with murder and cruelty,& as soon as it can get opportunity, it bringeth it forth.  
The devill hath no sooner suggested the seed of covetousness in gain, but Lust conceiveth it, by thinking of it, and imagineth to itself quirks, and advantages of Law, and groweth big with injury and Oppression, and as soon as it can get opportunity, it bringeth it forth.  
The devill hath no sooner suggested the seed of Vnchastnesse in beauty, or any wanton speech or behaviour, but Lust conceiveth it, by thinking of it, and travaileth in the conceit of Fleshly pleasure, and groweth big with adultery, and Fornication, and as soon as it can get opportunity, it bringeth it forth.  
In a word, the devill hath no sooner suggested the seed of any sin in any temptation, but Lust conceiveth it, by thinking of it, and doth grow quick and big with the fruits of wickedness, and as soon as it can get opportunity, it bringeth it forth: so fruitful is Concupiscence of all manner of sin.  
he then that will prevent the conception of sin, must watch Concupiscence,& look to his inward thoughts, and affections very carefully,& not onely make conscience of his deeds and of his words, but even of his most secret thoughts, and inward imaginations; for they that accustom themselves to evil thoughts, can hardly bring forth good words, but never good deeds.  
As the corn is, so will the Floure be, if the Floure be bad, the fault is not in the millstones that ground it, but in the Miller that put in the corn; the understanding and thoughts of a man, are like millstones, they cannot choose but grind whatsoever they receive, and yield a Floure both in words and deeds accordingly.  
As the wood is, so will the fire be, of wet and vnsauerie wood, you shall haue a smokey and unwholesome fire, but if the wood be sweet and dry, it will perfume the room with a very good and pleasant air; even so it is in the soul, such wood as you lay on in your thoughts, such fire shall you haue in your actions.  
The Wise man in his best instructions to wisdom giveth this rule, proverbs 4, 23. Cum omni diligentia obserua cor tuum, If thou wilt bee wise, look well not onely to thy hands and thy feet, although they also are to be looked unto, but especially look to thy hart, and thy inward affections, and think vpon thy thoughts.  
That understanding is the most divine, which is reflected, and doth inwardly behold itself, and GOD, that which is projected, and gazeth vpon outward things, is common to us with beasts, and those likewise are the best affections, that are kept at home,& occupied in the examination of themselves.  
You know when Dinah would needs be gadding abroad, to see the Daughters of Canaan, Genesis 34. she was deflowered by Sechem the son of Hamor. And if we suffer our affections to be nightwalkers, they will certainly return home quick with child.  
Concupiscence in itself, as it is a faculty of the soul, and a gift of GOD, is no sin, but may be made a helper unto virtue, if it be well looked unto, although I confess Concupiscence is commonly taken in the evil part for original sin: but if shee be kept at home, and set a work, in sweeping of the house, and lighting the candle, shee may in the end prove a chast virgin, fit to meet the bridegroom at his coming.  
And thus you see the means howe to sue a divorce betwixt the devill& Concupiscence, and to put enmity betwixt the seed of the Serpent, and the seed of the Woman, that although the devill be never so busy in suggesting, yet Concupiscence shall not be able to conceive sin.  
Now having seen how sin is conceived, let us consider how it is brought forth. And here, although Lust be never so willing to conceive sin, yet let not Reason, which is the Adam, and the manly part of the soul, become his Midwife, to bring it forth. For concupiscence, although it be always sinful, yet it cannot bring forth sin, with out the consent of Reason, which will never consent to bring it forth, so long as her eyes be open.  
For sin is a thing so ugly and deformed, and so like the father the devill, that it is very unreasonable that a mans soul should yield unto it. And therefore it is called awork of darkness, not only because the devill hideth it from other men, when it is brought forth, but also for that he hideth it from ourselves, in the very birth, and coming forth thereof.  
And therefore it is true being rightly understood, that Nemo sciens peccat, no man doth know sin, to be sin, at the instant when he committeth it: For how soever he haue the habit of knowledge in the general, yet he hath lost the act thereof in particular.  
The means the devill useth to hid his youngling in the birth, is the very same that deceitful Trades-men use, to utter their wears, they shut out the true light, and let in false lights, to cast the better gloss vpon their stuff. So doth the devill.  
In the time of Superstition, he put out Verbum predicatum, the light of the Word generally preached, so that men did scarce know sin in general, in these dayes he puts out Verbum applicatum, the light of the Word applied in particular, so that few do consider what sin is in practise: And in steede of these true lights, he sets up false lights, to cast a fair gloss vpon sin.  
These false lights are especially two, the one is human Lawe, the other is human example. By the one you shall never be able to prove sin to be sin, unless you can show an Act of Parliament for it. By the other, you shall never be able to prove sin to be sin, until all great men be good men, which will not be yet a while.  
By these false lights it comes to pass, that things are so unlike themselves, as few things are known by their names: Wee call good evil, and evil good, and light darkness, and darkness light, as the Prophet Esay complaineth in his 5. Chapter. So that drunkenness passeth currant under the name of Good-fellowship; adultery, under the name of Good-nature; covetousness, under the name of Good-husbandry; Murder, under the name of Good-courage; Sedition, under the name of Good-reformation; and Treason, under the name of Good-religion; and Reason being blinded by the devils sleights, becomes a Midwife to bring forth sin.  
The means to make sin an abortive, and to keep it from coming into act, is to keep open the eye of Reason, both by the doctrine of the Truth in general, and the application thereof in particular. The knowledge of the Truth in general is more easy, for which of us is ignorant what sin is? Reason whilst shee walketh in generalls, is in her own jurisdiction, sense, and affection; hath nothing to do with her, but shee may freely give her sentence; but when she descendeth to particulars, wherein all actions do consist, and disputeth whether this or that particular bee a sin, there sense and affection haue a special interest, so that Reason cannot give in her verdict, unless shee can overrule them.  
here is the true use of private Monitors, Tutors, and Preachers, who may speak freely when time is, that they help us to retain the truth in particular. Admonition is called by the Greekes Noythesia, as it were the restoring, or putting of the mind in order; for when the understanding is as it were beside itself, and out of joint, being transputed by some sudden passion, or evil custom: it is then a great benefit to haue such a one at hand, as may repose it by good admonition, and put it into order again.  
This continual public Preaching, is very good and necessary, as a candle set vpon a candlestick, to give light to all that are in the house. But if in this night of sin, wee will do any profitable work, we must either ourselves haue a particular light of our own in our hand, or if we cannot do both, wee must get another to hold the candle to us, that wee may see the deformity of sin, least Reason be deceived, and so taking the children of babylon, for the children of jerusalem, do give her consent, and become a Midwife for the bringing forth of sin.  
And if Reason be deceived,& overtaken in the birth of sin, yet when it is born, shee shall perceive it plainly; and if shee can neither hinder the conception nor the birth of sin, yet let her like the Midwiues of egypt, kill it betimes, least it grow up to the full height, for sin when it is finished, will certainly bring forth death.  
indeed, every sin without repentance, is finished, and bringeth forth death; but yet there is a growth in sin, Nemo repent fit passimus, no man becomes a very bad man at the first dash, there bee three degrees, as it were so many ages in sin; there is 1. peccatum occultum, 2. peccatum apertum, 3. peccatum frequentatum, secret sin, open sin, and customary, or confirmed sin.  
sin, whilst it is secret, and as it were in his cradle, it hath a Nurse, and that is Dissimulation, or hypocrisy, who if she can, will keep sin within doors, and if it must needs go abroad, shee provides a Mantle, or a cloak to cover it withall.  
The carnal man, as long as he can, will keep his adultery and vnchastnesse close, but if it must needs out, he excuses it, and cloaks it with a natural infirmity, as Adam, Genesis 3. Mulier quam dedisti mihi, the woman which thou gavest unto me, she gave unto me,& I did eat. So the proud man, if he can keep his disobedience and treason within doors, he will, but if it must needs come abroad, he will cover it with a cloak of false pretence, either with a pretence of iustice, as absalon, when he intended treason against his father, he pretended iustice for the people, saying to every suitor, the matters are good and righteous, but the King hath appointed no man to hear thee: O that I were made a judge, that I might do iustice to the people, 2. Sam. 15.  
Or else with a pretence of zeal, as konrah, when he practised a schism against Moses and Aaron, he seemed zealous for the people of God; You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation of the Lord is holy. Numb. 16.  
So the covetous man, if he can, he will keep his injury and oppression within doors with Gehezi, 2. Regum, 5. thy servant hath been no where, I haue done nothing, but that I may do: but if the bleating of the sheep bewray him, then he excuseth the matter with Saule, 2. Sam. 15. It was the fault of his Officers: but it is no matter, he meaneth to lay it up in pios vsus: offer sacrifice to God, you shall see one day he will found Hospitals and build Churches with it.  
Thus sin groweth from secret to open, from his child-hood to his young age, and then it needs a Nurse no longer, but Lust doth provide her of a Tutor, and that is Presumption, who will not dissemble the matter a whit, but openly defend it, like Aritio in the comedy, Non est flagitium scortari adolescentulum, non est neque potare, neque sores effringere, all these are no sins, they are but tricks of youth.  
So sin is iterated and repeated until it getteth strength by custom and growth to mans estate,& then is it manned with obstinacy, who like a stout Champion will justify it against all comers, peccator cum venerit in profundum contemnet. Then will the egyptian contemn Moses, Exod. 2. Who made thee a Ruler,& a judge over us? Then will Ahah reject Micheah, I hate him, for he never prophesieth any good unto me, 3, Reg, 2. Then will every child in jericho, despise Elizeus, and be bold to call him bald pate, 4, Regum, 2. And thus sin groweth to his height,& bringeth forth both private and public, both temporal and eternal calamity.  
Which if you desire to prevent, you must look to sin betimes,& as the Prophet adviseth, Psal. 137. Take the children of babylon young,& dash their heads against the stones. Take them young. Whilst they are young, Dum parvus est hostis intersire, vt virtus eius elidatur in semine. Hieron. For sin when it is iterated, it is harder to be conquered. Acta confirmant voluntatem, tam in bono, quam in malo, He that hath done well once, shall the more easily do it the next time, and he that hath done evil once, shall the more hardly resist it at the next assault.  
Take them young, whilst you are young, otherwise, as sin groweth stronger, you will grow weaker, and that sin which now you may easily subdue, you shall not hereafter be able to wrestle with.  
Our saviour began to purchase our salvation when he was very young, he  shed some blood in the wound of circumcision when he was but eight dayes old, and he shewed himself in the Temple, when he was but twelve yeeres old▪ and shall not wee think it time to practise our salvation, whilst wee are young? Let us therefore look to it betimes, least sin grow to bee finished, and then there bee no remedy, nor recovery, but death.  
I am now come to the fourth and last part of my Text, namely▪ the fruit of sin, and that is death. It bringeth forth death.  
The fruit of sin is double, the death of the body, and the death of the soul. That the death of the body is the fruit of sin, it appeareth in Romans 5, By the sin of one, death came over all; for surely, if there had never been any disorder of the soul, there should never haue been any disease of the soul.  
But I will pass over that which we must all pass through, that is the death of the body, and come to that which I pray God we may all escape, that is the death of the soul. For as death causeth the separation of the soul from the body, so sin causeth the separation of God from the soul, whereby the soul becometh more loathsome unto God, then any dead carcase is to man. But yet as there is a difference in the separation of the soul from the body, so are there certain degrees in the separation of God from the soul.  
There is a Syncope or souning, there is an Epilepsy, or falling sickness, and there is an apoplexy, or could Palsy, which if it be total, is also final. To the first answereth our ordinary infirmities, which the just man falleth into every day. These the ancients haue called venial sins, not because they are not deadly in their own nature, but because they are recoverable by ordinary repentance, as it were by the sprinkling of water, or a little bending forward.  
To the second answereth greater crimes, which they call deadly sins, because they do expel the Spirit of GOD, that for the time there is left no sense, nor apparance thereof, neither doth it return again without some extraordinary repentance, as it were by striving, by sweeting, and bearing of itself.  
To the third answereth customary and obstinate sins, which although there remain a while a little appearance of breath, or natural warmth, yet without a very miracle, it is unpossible to recover that spiritual life, which it hath so long, and so universally excluded.  
Seeing then the fruit of sin is so dangerous, and yet so unpossible altogether to be prevented, what remedy is there left to recover ourselves: surely there is no other means in the world, but the grace of GOD in Iesus Christ, offered unto us in his Word and Sacraments, by the ministry of his Church. For as Christ himself did raise 3. kind of dead bodies in the gospel, so hath he given power to his Church in his Name, to raise 3. kindes of dead souls. he raised one dead in the house, and that was jairus daughter, in the fift of mark; another dead in the gate, and that was the widows son in the 7. of Luke;& a third dead in the grave, and that was Lazarus in the 11. of John.  
The secret sinner is dead in the house; for the raising of him, there is the word of Christ particularly applied, which is a discerner of thoughts,& intents of the hart. Hebr: 4, 12. and able to bring into captivity every thought, into the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.  
The open sinner is dead in the gate, for the raising of him, there is the discipline of Christ; If thou canst not reform thy brother privately, Die Ecclesiae, tell the Church, &c. Math, 18. Christ himself when he found open profanation of the Temple, he made a scourge, and whipped them out. &c. John. 2.  
But what shall wee do for the customary and obstinate sinner, which is dead in the grave? All we can do is to pray for him as Mary did. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother Lazarus had not died, nevertheless, I know all things are possible unto thee.  
But because wee must not always stay for miracles, the ministery of the sword, must be joined with the ministry of the word, Atque immedicabile membrum ense recidendum est, ne pars sincera trahatur, that which cannot be cured, must be cut off.  
And thus you see the description of sin, with the true causes thereof, offered to your consideration by the Apostle, in the conception, the birth, the growth, and the fruit thereof. GOD of his goodness bless that which he hath taught us, that our sins may be killed, our souls cured, our death prevented, and ourselves everlastingly saved, by the merits& mediation of our deere Lord and saviour Iesus Christ: to whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three persons and one GOD, be all honor& glory, now and for ever.  
Amen.  
FINIS.   

page. 8. line 3.& line 5. for on the sun side, read on the same side.