CHrist our precursor into Heauen, euen to his last breath not vnmindful of his little-little flock, did as A­braham Gene, 25, 1, Reg, 2, vnto Isaack, as Dauid vnto Salomon, as Tobias vn­to Tob, 4. his sonne, bequeath vnto them, a few small howres be­fore his glorification, his best & principall legacie, Eternall life; confirming it vnto them in his last and latest prayer, made for his Apostles; This is life eternall, that they know Iohn, 17, thee to be the only very God, [Page] and whom thou hast sent Ie­sus Christ. That wee know Rom, 11, him, quis et qualis est, who he is, and what he is? who he is, à quo, in quo, per quem sunt om­nia. The principall and singu­ler essence, from whom, by whom, & in whom all things were created, all thinges are preserued, all thinges shall be resolued; what hee is, to wit, Zanch. li. 3. de Nat. Dei. que. stio. 3. Sapientissimus, qui sciat; Po­tentissimus, qui possit; aman­tissimus, qui velit suos seruare. Great in wisedom, and there­fore knoweth, powerfull in strength, and therefore can, plentifull in loue, and therfore wil crowne those with eterni­ty, which he knoweth; know [Page 2] those euerlastingly, which he loueth; loue those most ten­derly, which knowe and ac­knowledge him. By his knowledge hee will rule, by his strength defend, by his loue, loue all, that knowe and ac­knowledge him; that knowe him after a long and earnest seeking him, & acknowledge him, by a most gracious and happy finding him; seeking him among their miseries, fin­ding him in his mercies; see­king him in the crowde and presse of theyr sinnes, finding him in the top of his Crosse, in the large promises of saluati­on; Seeking him in finding thēselues, finding him in see­king [Page] themselues.

For as wee desire to finde God, so we must endeuour to seeke our selues; so true it is there must be cognitio nostri, before there can bee agnitio Dei; a quest, and inquisition made about our selues, before wee can reach the knowledge of him that made vs; for God being as he is summum genus, not vsed to definition, not subiect to description, must be shadowed per posteriora, be­cause hee hath not priora, hee beeing primum principium, the primarie cause, and principall ground of euery principle, yea that principiū principorum, that illimmited, wonderfull, and [Page 3] vnsearchable Alpha, must bee Apoc, 1. comprehended and knowne to his effects, principiorum non est querenda Ratio, It is meere dotage in Philosophie to search out causes of principles when as they are principles. They haue not precedent cau­ses, & therefore Boetius giues this cannon, Sires á prioribus per causas demonstrari non pos­sunt, á posteribus per effect a ex­plicari debent, those thinges that borrow not theyr proofe and demonstration, from fore­running causes, their bearing and luster, must bee deriued from their effects.

Since then God in regard of beginning is incomprehen­sible, [Page] and voyd of all demon­stration à priore, to declare his quid est, mans frailtie must la­bour to knowe him á posterio­rae, Rom. 1. by his effects and workes. For invisibilia Dei per ea quae fact a sunt conspiciuntur, the in­visible wisedome & power of God, is seene by the creation of the world, and if any crea­ture, the perfect arte of Gods omnipotencie, may bee com­prehended, yet in nothing more then in man, vpon whō he set the stampe of his owne Image. Man therefore must know him à posteriore, that is, first hee must knowe himselfe, for man is his workmanship; then knowe God as hee is his [Page 4] Maker; first knowe himselfe, with the eye of Experience, & then know God with the eye of Cōtemplation. First know himselfe, poore in misery, and then know God, rich in mer­cie; first knowe himselfe sub iugo Mundi, groaning & back­broken vnder the yoke of sin; and then know God, sub iugo Christi, easing & refreshing the heauie laden sin; First knowe himselfe, Mancipium mortis, Deaths free-hold and possessi­on, and then know God, Vic­toriam mortis, the bruser and breaker of the Serpents head; Gene, 3, first knowe himselfe, lucerna aduentum, the weake subiect of all mortality, & then know [Page] God in the donation of his Spirit, the earnest pennie of mans immortalitie. 2, Cor, 1, He must knowe Quid est, that hee is a too-soone borne, and no long liuing creature, cum quibus est, that he is coupled with famin, with thirst, with heate, with colde, with infirmitie, vvith death; cui similis est, that he is like to snow, quick come, and quickly gone; like to a Rose, at morning fayre, at euening withered. Hee must know, Vnde venit, from whence hee is, vbi est, where he is, quo va­dit, whether hee will; whence he is, & then blush for shame; where hee is, and then lament with groanes; whether he wil, [Page 5] and then tremble with feare: blush for shame at his naked natiuity; lament with grones at his worldly entertainment; tremble with feare at his dout­full end; blush for shame that he is become flesh, and there­fore farre from God; lament with groanes that hee is in the world, and therefore wide of heauen; tremble with feare, that he must die, and therfore obuious to the iawes of hell: to be briefe, hee must knowe himselfe, intra et extra, á tergo et fronte, á dextris, á sinistris, vndique, within and without, behind & before, on this side, on that side, on euery side; be­fore him his peruerse & ouer­thwart [Page] will, to that which is good; behind, his sweet and pleasing remembrance, to that which is bad; on this side lack of patience in aduersitie, on that side, too much pride and haughtines in prosperitie; on euery side, vulnera á peccato inflicta, wounds, and nothing but wounds, imprinted and stamped into his soule & flesh by the custome of sinne. And then he shall find, God aboue him powerfull, beneath him plentifull, before him watch­full, behind him wonderfull, on this side bountifull, on that side carefull, on euery side mercifull. Mercifull in forget­ting, mercifull in forgiuing [Page 6] sinnes. That Manuscript in the Temple of Delphos, Gnothi Plut. in Coloten. Tom: 3. seamton, was so powerfull a­mong the heathens, that the deepe learned Doctors dee­med Seipsos noscere, the onely pathway to perfection: And therfore Heraclitus for super­stition a Heathen, for profes­sion a philosopher, on a time triumphing (as it were) with himselfe, how he had spent the day, cryed out, Quaesiui meip­sum, Plu. ibid. the honour of the vvell­spent day is this, I haue sought my selfe. And Socrates vvas such a pugill in the Castle of knowledge, such a labourer in the arte of Seeking, that Co­lotes the Epicure called him­selfe [Page] foole, because he spent so much time in this one studie, but non fuit Socrates siultus, Plut. ibid. seipsum querens. Socrates saith Plutarch, did not deserue the name of foole in this inquirie, and priuie search of his owne infirmitie, cum sit hoc cognitū necessarium inventus difficili­mū, seeing of all knowledge, this onely is most necessarie, and of learning the most diffi­cult. Difficile est, &c. It is an harde thing, saith Chilo, to be tongue tyde in secrecie, to dis­pose the time rightlie, to suffer Diog. la: in vit. eius iniuries patiently: & difficile, it is a hard thing, saith Pittacus, Id: in vit. eore. to be a good man: & as Bias, Difficile est, it is a hard thing [Page 7] to tollerate aduersitie with quietnes.

But if Thales Difficile may goe currant, Difficile est homi­ni seipsum noscere, I may add, difficilimum est, The hardest lesson that a man can learne, is to know himselfe, Quid enim Stella de cont: mū ­di: lib. 3. cap: 14. prodest scire artes liberales, sic licet Doctor in omnibus nisi cog­noscas teipsum, what is the stile of maistership in Artes? what is the height of doctorship in faculties? Yet thy knowledge wants of her perfectiō, if thou want perfectly to knowe thy self. Scientiainflat, knowledge puffeth vp, but selfe know­ledge pulleth downe. 1, Cor, 8, Know­ledge is so farre wide of true [Page] knowledge, that in ignorance of GOD it cryeth with Pha­raoh, Exod. 5, Quis est Deus vester? but selfe knowledge, plunged in the depth of his own know­ledge, aspireth to knowe the true knowledge of God, and Exod, 18 with Iethro, confesseth Domi­nus maior Dijs omnibus: the Lord is greater then all Gods: knowledge mounteth vppon the wings of pride, boasteth Esay. with Lucifer, ascendam in Coe­lum, I will make the starres my foote-stoole, but selfe knowledge couered with the vaile of humility, falleth down Iob, 1, 20 with Iob, and worshippeth. Knowledge hippocriticallie deuoted, runnes a pace to the [Page 8] Temple, and as the Pharisie, fills the Temple with a Non Luke, 18, sunt sicut alij, but selfe know­ledge, not hastie in pace, not multiloquious in wordes, kee­ping time in going, obseruing a meane in speaking, at one stroake vvith the Publican, breakes vppe the Chest of his hart, and Sub forma pauperis, sub forma peccatoris, in the ha­bite of a sinner, craues; O God be mercifull to me a sinner.

All men, saith Aristotle, by Metaph. Lib. 1. nature couet knowledge, and that itching desire of Eue, as soone as shee was out of the shell, testifieth no lesse, when for the hope of Sciens bonum et malū, for the hope of much [Page] knowledge, she lost herselfe in ignorance, swallowing as shee thought, the baite of know­ledge, vvhich turned in the end, the baine of ignorance. Yet if knowledge suffer a diffe­rence, and men beare more then an indifferent mind vnto it, there is none more pleasing, none more profitable, thē this selfe knowledge; pleasing in respect of GOD, profitable in respect of man. It is that A­stronomical Ladder of Iacob, Gene, 28, that reacheth from earth to heauen; from mans earth-bu­ried hart, to the contemplati­on of heauenly motions: that Geometrical squire, that squa­reth Psalm, 39 out man at a span length, [Page 9] and then measureth God, the Alpha & Omega, vvhich fil­leth heauen & earth; that A­rithmeticall kallender of mans age, that first declareth his time to be threescore yeeres & tenne, and then with Moises ascendeth the mount, to take a suruay of Gods Eternitie.

Quo magis noueris teipsum, Stella de con: mū ­di: lib. 3, cap. 13. eo perfectius cognoscere Deum, the deeper thou wadest into this selfe knowledge, the nee­rer thou shalt ariue to GOD himselfe. It shall be more then Thomas his Credo, to cōceiue Ioh, 20, God inwardlie, then to thrust thy finger into his side. It shall be more then the Centurions Math, 27, testimonie, Vera filius Dei erat [Page] hic, to acknowledge him in thy hart, then before the mul­titude to cōfesse him with thy lippes. It shall be more then Simeons Nunc dimittis, to Luke, 2, take holde of him in troubled spirit, then to imbrace his in­fancie in the flesh. It shall be more then Phillips Sufficit, to Ioh, 14, view him in thy selfe, then to behold him in the heauens.

Nec te quesiueris extra, looke not on the superficies & out­side of thy selfe, saith the Poet, Persius. Satyr. 1. but rather let thy conscience be thy looking glasse, wherby thou maist dresse & attire thy selfe fit for heauen; that wil tel thee how to get vestem nupti­alem, the wedding robe, by in­nocency [Page 10] of life: that wil teach thee howe to put it on by a liuely saith; that will tell thee what thy progenitors haue been; that wil teach thee what thy state is novv; that vvil tell thee histories of Adam; that wil tel thee lessons of thy selfe; that vvill tell thee Adam brought sinne into the world; that vvill teach thee sinne brought thee into the world; that vvill tell thee therefore thou must studie lavve; that will teach thee therefore how thou maist studie the law.

First thou must studie, be­cause Per legem cognitio pecca­ti, Rom, 3, It is a Schoole-maister to bring vs vnto Christ; & there [Page] like a true naturalist shalt thou finde, the causes of thy sinne, hanging vpon Records, and like a true historian, there read what others haue done before thee. Secondly, hovve thou maist studie Lawe, to vvit, by reading it vvith the glosse of the Gospell, because Per Euan­gelium cognitio gratiae, the go­spell is a true Interpreter of Saluation. Briefely, that vvill tel thee, how thou wast borne vnder those incestuous Pla­nets, Mars and Venus; that wil teach thee how thou must be borne againe vnder that Prince of Planets, the Sonne of righteousnesse.

Descend therefore with Ni­chodemus, [Page 11] from teaching the Iohn, 3. Lavv, to teach the true & per­fect knowledge of God; striue with Marie, to bee bathed in the remission of sinnes, rather then to be drenched with Iu­das in the Sea of desperation; betake thy self vnto God, that he may take thee vnto him.

Thou art but man, therfore call vpon him thy God, thou art a sinfull man, therfore pray vnto him thy mercifull God: It is no shame to be sorowful, cry ô God; It is no reproch to begge mercies, pray him to be mercifull; It is no discredit to cōfesse thy fault, tell him thou art a sinner, and therefore em­boldened to say, O God be mer­cifull [Page] to me a Sinner.

It is the meanes which the sinne-drowned Publican vsed in his extremitie of thirst, to obtaine a refreshing cup, with a beaten breast and broaken hart, to cry, O God be mercifull to me a sinner. If lamentable pictures, and wofull tales car­rie that force, to enforce teares from the hearers & beholders eyes, then cannot we but turn prodigall in teares, vvhen vve behold this liuely counterfeit of sorrow, where euery cullor hath a speaking griefe, euery griefe a mourning tongue, to extort and wring teares from the beholders eyes. Iacob did Gene, 27 neuer rent his garment in so [Page 12] many peeces for the losse of Ioseph, as the Publican doth his soule for the burthen of his sinne, laying it vpon the racke of repentance, and stretching it from earth to heauen; from himselfe to God, till perforce he force it cry, O God.

Agar beeing turned out of Gene, 22 her Mistris house, made her eyes the plaintifes of her soli­tarie wandring; but the Pub­lican, turning himselfe out of his Maisters fauour, makes his hand, hart, eyes, tongue and all, labour to chasten his dis­ease with true remorse; His hands like the bellows, blowes the fire of Contrition to his hart, his heart like a limbecke [Page] distills the soueraine water of repentance into his eyes, like full cesterns, not being able to looke vpward, returne theyr streames backe vnto the hart, that ouer-charged, driues the floode of his affection to his tongue; His tongue like Aa­rons Censor, conuaies the sweete perfume of this preci­ous distillation, into the pre­sence of God himselfe. And as the angels celebrated the birth of Christ with a ioyful himne, Gloria in excelsis Deo; so hee Luke, 2, welcoms his second birth with this sadde lamentation, O God be mercifull vnto mee a Sinner. Much like to Peter, when de­nying Math, 26 his Maisters coate, fle­uit [Page 13] amare, hee made lachrimae the birth of his lamentation. Indeede sicke men cannot a­way with melodie, as Saules frensie could not endure Da­uids 1, Reg. 4, Harpe; Salomons thou­sand songs, cannot mittigate the smart of the Publicans dis­ease, that runnes altogether vpon the hart-string, not the harpe string; obseruing those Diasemata acutū medeum, gra­ue, the spaces, falls, and rises of a melancholie dittie. The first note beeing raisde high to him that is aboue all note, O God. The second with a tem­perate stoppe, mooued to a meane, be mercifull. The third with a heauie touch, fitted to [Page] the base, to mee a Sinner. Hea­uie, ô heauie is the note of man, and therefore it calls for moderation of God; Heauie, ô too heauie is the note of sin, & therefore it craues the voice of mercie, O God be mercifull, peccanti, to a sinner, confitenti, to mee a Sinner; penitenti: O GOD be mercifull to me a Sin­ner.

Heere I might iustly ob­serue in the Publican, first his invocation, O God, secondly, his petition, be mercifull, third­lie, his condition, to me a Sin­ner. Yet suffer mee right wor­shipfull, leauing that doctrine to a second suruay, at this time only to propose vnto you, the [Page 14] publican himselfe in his medi­tation, by vertue whereof hee attaineth to knowe himselfe a Sinner, and God his Redee­mer. Dauid being in the depth of meditation, concaluit cor, Psalm, 39 his hart was hote, et exardescit ignis, the fire of his zeale vvas kinled, and hee spake, Lord teach mee; In the same pre­cincts and streites of meditati­on is the publican, concalet cor, his armes, like the Phaenix winges, hath set his heart on fire, et exardescit ignis, by that his zeale is inflamed; by his zeale his tongue is enlarged, and he speakes; O God be mer­cifull. He speakes as Dauid, in meditation: that is, as Cassio­dore [Page] obserueth, in consilio, et Cassiod. in eund. Psal. Bias in Diog: La. deliberatione, with iudgement and discretion; he speakes non cito, for that's insaniae iudiciū, either a point of madnes, or a fault of rashnesse; hee speakes not cum loquacitate, for that is difficilimum, simul et multa, et oportune dicere, but he speakes meditatio et oratione, his medi­tation teaching him what hee wants, his prayer directing to obtaine his wants. Lastly, hee speakes, and he speakes autho­rized, by Platoes Licence, with Plat. in Diog: La: a prouiso and respect, first, ad quem loquitur, to whom hee speakes; secondly, quid loqui­tur, what it is hee speakes; thirdly, qua multa loquitur, [Page 16] how much he speakes; fourth­ly, quando loquitur, at what time hee speakes. His first re­gard, regards the reuerence of the person, to whō he speakes, O God; his second consists of a two-folde proprietie, one drawne frō himselfe, a Sinner, the other by a necessitie from God, be mercifull; his third is couched, not so much in quā ­titie of words, as in quality of affection: For as Bucer no­teth, Com: in 18. cap: Luc. orauit paucis, sed affectu multo, his prayer is short, but very sweet; short in respect of wordes, sweete in regarde of zeale. His fourth and last re­gard aymes at the time, for sinne, like Noahs flood, euery [Page] day getting strength, was al­most come to the toppe of A­rarat, Gene, 7, 17. and had almost ouer­spred the whole earth of man, so that it was high time to stay the swelling rage and furie of it; and therefore hee striues to bring it backe to a lowe ebbe, with a smooth calme of an humble petition; and thus he speakes in scrious meditation, O God be mercifull to mee a sin­ner. Helplesse man cannot helpe, therefore, O God, vvith whom is all comfort, be mer­cifull, which quicknest the hū ­ble spirit, thersore to me, draw­ing breath from Adam, and therefore a sinner: and there­fore, O God be mercifull vnto [Page 16] me a sinner.

I runne not vnto the vvise­men Exod, 7. with Pharaoh, I call not vpō any Idoll with the priests 1, Reg, 18 of Baall, but with sorrowfull Sara in the gall of bitternesse, Tob, 3. with wrincle fac'd Iob, smit­ten on the cheekes with a re­proch, Iob, 16 I beginne my confessi­on, O God; I pray not for the strength of body with Samp­son; Iudg, 16. with Elisha for my ene­mies blindnes; with worldlie 2, Pet. 2. Balaam for earthly treasure; but with the faithfull Canani­tish Math, 15 woman, once and againe reiected, I begge for the crums of thy mercy, O God be merci­full: I, euen I, the sonne of sor­rowe, present my selfe vnto [Page] thee, & as the Leaper entrea­ted for his owne cleansing, e­uen Math, 8, so I pray, O God be merci­full vnto me: I, euen I, wea­ned a long time frō the teates of thy loue, & nourished with the corrupt milke of sinne, I, euen I, that haue refused thy heauenly Manna, and deligh­ted my selfe with the leauen of Egipt, nowe at the length, strooke with the-whip of Re­pentance, retire, and for the easing of my griefe, presume to sollicite thee in this man­ner, O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner.

I, am not of Simon Peters mind, that said, Lord go from Luke, 5, mee, for I am a sinfull man, [Page 17] but rather, Lord come to me, because I am a sinfull man; neither doe I cry out with the possessed; Iesus thou sonne of Math, 8, God, what haue I to do with thee? but rather, Iesus thou sonne of God, I haue to doe with thee. O let me haue som interest in thy loue, which like a vaile couereth the multitude of sinnes, & vniteth the peece­rent hart of the sorrow-beaten sinner, O God be mercifull to me a sinner.

It is not with me, as it was Gene, 4, with Caine, to say my sinne is greater then can be pardoned, neither am I as yet clasped in that desperation and distrust, as to equalize & compare thy [Page] mercie to my sinnes: I know thy pietie to exceed mans im­pietie, and thy mercie to be greater then mans miserie: Sinnes as they cannot choke thy loue, so they cannot stand in any degree of comparison with the infinitum of thy mer­cie? For how much thy great­nes ouer-spreads mans weak­nesse, so much the goodnes of thy goodnesse, exceedes the e­uill of his euill; and therefore, it were first high treason to thy Omnipotencie & power, to say my sinne is greater then thou canst pardon, when as thy mercie is like thy selfe, great without all quantitie, good without all qualitie.

Secondly, it were a wrong vnpardonable to thy will, a trespasse dangerous to thy truth, an iniurie too desperate and despayring of thy promi­ses, to say thou wilt not doe what thou canst, when with thee to doe, is as easie as to will, and to will is ready euery howre; wherefore, O God, be mercifull to me a sinner.

It is worse then the staine Viex. in instit ad peniten. of hippocrisie, to say I am no sinner; for none can challenge to himselfe that priuiledge, In mundo esse, non potest sine cul­pa, qui in mundum venit cum culpa; sinne was my Mother, which brought mee into the world, and sinne is the daugh­ter [Page] of my affection in the vvorld.

The world is become a loth­some cage of vncleane birds, a troubled sea deuided into ma­ny puddles, a dangerous de­sart, nursing strange and ve­nemous creatures, where is Serpens flatu, adurens Scorpio, Cauda pungens, Dipsas latenter interficiens, where couetous­nesse like a burning Serpent, breathes out the fire of vnhal­lowed desires; where lust like the Scorpion, venomes the soule, and prouokes it to black [Page 19] attēpts, where pride lies close at the hart, like a snake lurking in the grasse; where, nay where else, should sinne bee, when as Mundus is termed cu­bile omnium peccatorum, the denne and couert of all euill: where euery sinne, great and little, though euery little sinne be too great, raignes & keepes his Court, Mundus non Mun­dus, the trimme fashion of the world, is out of fashion, be­cause it is sicke of euery fashi­on, it beeing composed mira­bile opus: the wonderful check and countermaund of all arte, is now become miserabile cha­os, the ruinous and disorde­red heape of all disorder, mun­dus [Page] non mundus, it is the stage & Theater of hipocrisie, faire and beautifull without, but ful of foule sin within; like strait­growing reedes, satisfying the eyes with a greene & pleasing out-side, but within nothing more vaine, nothing more light, nothing more emptie. Like Nabuchadnezars Idoll, glittering with a golden face yet standing vppon feete of Clay. Mundus, non Mun­dus, by striuing to excell in beautie, it hath washt away all beautie, and there is no sure hold for the foules anchor in so slipperie a station: Mundus non mundus, the effects proue it so; for Mundus polluit, it is [Page 20] become Murthers slaughter­house, Thefts refuge, Whoredoms stew, Oppressions safe­tie, and for all sinnes a sinfull Sanctuarie.

Who then can swallow Cir­ces cup & not be transformed? who can tast deadly poyson & scape infection? who can liue in Sodome & not be wicked? who can breathe in the world and be no sinner? Why? the Infant-blush at my natiuitie, was it not the Tell-tale of my originall sinne, how I had ta­sted of that sowre fruit, which all my ancestors, á minore vs­que Iere, 6, [Page] ad Maiorem, à propheta vs­que ad Sacerdotem, from the first to the last had eaten: and from the time of my natiuitie, howe I haue since, hewen of my age by sinne, filling, and fulfilling, as Christ saith, the measure of my Fathers, my sinne-prest conscience secretly dooth tell mee; wherefore, O God be mercifull to me a sinner. There is no way to hide and smother what I am, for if dis­guised Adam, in his fig-leau'd coate, close and secure as hee thought, among the bushes could not shelter him from Gods presence, howe can I promise to my selfe securitie? well may the blindfold world, [Page 21] being as deeply couered in sin as I, either for weakenesse not see, or for the thicke skinne of his owne sinne, still be dazell­eyed, & not behold the heapes & drifts of iniquitie; but God Qui vidit omnia generaliter, Nicho: Denij se: sine exceptione, euidenter sine dubitatione, imutabiliter sine obliuione, which hath intelli­gence of my secret thoughts, an eare to heare my priuate wordes, an eye to see my light and darke actions, God I say, which is a Scrutator of my hart and raines, hee enters the priuie chamber of my hart, & is an eye witnesse of my sinne, before it be hatched, he knew all things before they were be­gunne, [Page] and therefore he must needes know them when they are donne; Vidit te fornicatio­nem cogitantem, antequam vi­dit fornicantem, hee sawe thee and Dauid intending adulte­rie, before thou and Dauid committed adulterie. If then no running away will serue the turn, no place close inough to smother sinne, when euerie thing is naked, and open to his view,

Into what hard and obdurate mettall is man cast, how is his face made stiffe, with the oylie [Page 22] cullors of shameles impuden­cie, that will feare the presence of the creature, and no way stand in awe or reuerence, of the All-presence of the Creator? Is there a secret roome where no man comes? a se­cret stage to act sin where no man sees; and is it possible to keepe God out? is it possible to blinde his eyes? Non te Do­mino abscondis, sed Dominum abscondis tibi: Viex in instit: ad poenit. poore runne-a­way, thou hidest not thy selfe from God, but rather hidest GOD from thee. Eu videre ne quis, what though the eyes of thy vnderstanding beeing darkned, thou canst not see him, tamen subtilliter vidit [Page] omnia que agis, yet hath hee made a casement to thy con­science, & beholds thee with­in and without, in the cogita­tion, in the action: wherfore, if running from God, be but a steppe to greater sinne, then will I runne from sin to God, and till I recouer strength in him, will I not cease to say, O God bee mercifull to mee a Sin­ner.

In sinne, as there is no se­curitie to hide it, so there is no remedie to excuse it, or to post it of with a Mulier que dedisti, Gene: 3. the woman which thou ga­uest me did cause me to sinne, as Adam did; or as Eue, to cleere herselfe with a Serpens [Page 23] decipit me, the Serpent begui­led mee; this is rather an in­crease then a decrease of sinne, for culpa fit grauiora discussa, Viex in­stitu: quam perpetrata, that offence was heauier in Examination, then it had beene before in Commission; for Peccatum committunt, cōmissum abscon­dunt, negando absconditum, de­fendendo adaugent: Heere the blind leade the blind, and the farther they goe, the greater is their danger; First they sinne, and then they flie: secondlie, they are taken, but they denie the Accusation: thirdly, that beeing proued, they stand out in their owne defence, and dis­pute the case with the Iudge, [Page] Adam excusing him-selfe by the woman; the woman lay­ing the fault on the Serpent; both of them priuilie taxing GOD, for placing such and such with them in Paradice. But (alas) it is a naked shift, and to no purpose, to bandy words with God, neither did hee call them for any such dis­course: For as the aboue noted Authour noteth, Deus de peccato requisiuit, GOD as it Viex. in­stit. were lamenting the first fruits of his labour, should vtterlie perrish, therefore questioned with our first Parents, Vt quod transgrediendo commiserant, confitendo delerent: that the fire of their confession might [Page 24] burne downe the wall, which the rancor of sinne had buil­ded betweene them and God. As then hopefull Israel found meanes to supplant the vsur­ping Canauites, by electing Iudg, 1. Iuda their guide & Captaine, so may I put to flight that great daring Cananite, that musters vp whole legions of temptations against me, when as Iudah (which interpreted) signifies Confession, doth not onely conduct and guide my forces, but also blunts the edge of my enemies sword, retur­ning his intended poyson to his owne confusion. Serm. 30, ad frat. in eremo.

Obstruit os inferni Portas, a­perit Paradizi; The cōfession [Page] of thy sinne, saith Augustine, barres vp the mouth of hell, which standes gaping to de­uoure thee, & opens the gates of heauē, that willingly would receiue thee. And againe saith the same Father, Appareat in confessione tua, macula cord is Serm: 49 in Ioh. Euang. tui et pertinebis ad graegē Chri­sti. Launch the festered soare with the knife of confession, complaine to him that is the great Shepheard of soules, and as he is a Phisitian, he wil cure thee, and as he is a Shepheard number thee with his flocke; Ingenue confessio meretur ve­niam: Viex: in institu. Sinnes saluing plaister, is to reueale it: for, Confiteri possum celare non vossum, vvell [Page 25] may I cōfesse it, hide it I can­not; for so the deuil is preuen­ted of his seuere accusation, which his auncient malice would commence against vs: Si nostri accusatores sumus, Att [...]n: de Rampela. tract: de con. proficit nobis ad salutem: to a­natomise & exenterate sinne, to poure it forth vpon the Al­tar of repentance before God, wil not onely take away occa­on of Plea from the Accuser, but also reconcile the whole fauour of that high Commis­sion, Niniuitae refitentur et vi­vunt, Sodomitae obdurantur et pereunt: Belieuing Niniuie, wrapt and confounded in sor­rowe, is turned from out her mourning gowne of Sacke­cloth [Page] and ashes, and girded a­bout with a faire Syndon of Gods eternall fauor; but hard harted Sodome, swelling in the pride of her strength, is stript of all her beautifull at­tire, & nakedly left in the base ashes of her own destruction. Therfore, confitebor aduersum Psal. 31. me, iniusticiam meam Domino, I will confesse with Dauid a­gainst my selfe, my wicked­nesse, vnto the Lord, and say, O God be mercifull to me a Sin­ner.

It is no vsurpation to turne Iudge, to call an assise, to exa­mine my owne soule, to pro­duce my thoughts as accusers, my conscience as a thousand [Page 26] witnesses, to auerre and con­found the guilt of sin. Why, this shall preuent that latter & fearefull examination howe I haue spent my time; howe I haue employed my wealth; howe I haue ruled my appe­tites; howe I haue mortified my desires; howe I haue vsed and bestowed all good gifts, and graces of the holy Spirit: Nay, I shall neuer haue cause to feare that dolefull Memen­to which Abraham cast in Di­ues Luke, 16 teeth, Fili recordare, sonne remēber, howe thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasure, dis­porting thy time in wanton dalliance, solacing thy selfe in pleasing pastimes, braue in ap­parell, [Page] glittering in gold, high in honour, delicate in fare, de­fending pride to be but a point of Gentry; gluttony a part of good fellowship; wantonnes a tricke of youth; Nune ergo tu cruciaris, because thou hast inclosed, and taken in all plea­sure to thy selfe vppon Earth, thou shalt nowe take vp thy rents, & reape a plentifull har­uest in hell; Ante vltimum iu­dicium August. 46. de tempore. Dei, tui compone cau­sam: Meete with the day of iudgement, saith Austine, be­fore it come; looke about be­fore hand; thy selfe enter an action against thy selfe; For, non est vnde praesumas, cum ille venerit, no presumption will [Page 27] serue the turne: When hee comes, it will be too late to pleade ignorance; no boote to produce false witnesse; no helpe to vse colloured spee­ches, Ipse erit Iudi [...] causae tuae, August. ead: Ser: qui modo est testis vestis tuae, hee shall then lawfully con­demne thee, that in the act of sin did onely apprehend thee, wherefore, to anoyde the dan­ger of that dreadfull day, to shunne the feare of that cry at mid-night, to preuent that sentence, Goe ye cursed, to ob­taine that fauour, Come yee blessed, I heere accuse my selfe of sinne, & with hope to find acceptance in the sight of God, to him I resort without [Page] delay, saying; O God be merci­full to me a sinner.

For indeede, delay as it is dangerous in it selfe, so it is mother to greater mischiefes; though it seeme to old Isaack, to our blind soule to haue the voice of Iacob, yet it is not de­stitute of Rebeccaes deceit; by giuing too much audience to its sugred speeches, it steales a­way our birth-right, & throws vs quite out of the heritage of our Fathers; it giues sinne the greater strength; strength of sinne drawes on custome; cu­stome runnes into habite, and habite takes such deepe roote, that it cannot, or will be verie hardly remoued. Hee that lets [Page 28] his house runne to ruine, and will not at the first or second breach seeke to reparrations, striues to make rubbish of a good building. Hee that tra­uells in a leaking shippe, and will not in the beginning looke to emptie it, sayles for nought, but to drowne him­selfe. To morrow, to morrow, is the voyce of presumption, for who can tell whether hee can liue till to morrowe? Pro­misit August: Serm: 30 ad fra: in eremo. Deus veniam penitenti, sed non promisit vsque in Cra­stinum differenti, God sayth Augustine, hath sealed a par­don to him that repents, but none to him that deferres, and sayes hee will repent. And a­gaine, [Page] he that is not fit for his conuersion to day, wil be lesse readie to morrow, for

At the morrow hee will be the same man againe, and sing the same song againe, languishing still in delay, trifling out the time, till GOD (in whose hands onely are the moments of times) shut and barre him out from all time, and leaue him to paines without time, for so abusing the precious date of time. To morrow, to morrow, is an vncertain time, and though the times be cer­taine in themselues, yet are they most vncertaine vnto [Page 29] man, who as he knew not his beginning, so hee is ignorant of his ending. Much like to little birds, that in their pearch looke about to flie this way, or that way, yet before they take theyr flight, they are preuen­ted by the shaft. Death is a cō ­mon state-searcher both of old and young, striking as well Dauids young sonne before it 2, Sam, 22 be seauen dayes olde, as that auncient of dayes of Methu­shelem, that liued nine hun­dred sixtie nine yeeres. Least therefore the kingdome of sa­than should bee established in me, by frequentation of sinne, I will breake off delay, putting no trust in olde age, but as S. [Page] Paule saith, Dum cognomina­tur hodie, Heb, 3, euen in this verie in­stant, while it is named to day, will I repentantly cry, O GOD be mercifull to mee a sin­ner.

Moriantur ante te vitia, Seneca E­pist. 12 ad Liuium. giue thy sinne (saith Seneca) leaue to die before thee: it is a good riddance of a painfull pardon, for it is little better then despe­ration, to free libertie to thy youthful wil to range abroad, vpon cōfidence of repentance in thy last and least part of thy life; For (alas) what can help­lesse old age help, when all the strength of the body, all the faculties of the mind, all the parts & passions, are not only [Page 30] daunted, and out-dared with sicknesse, but also worne out with multitude of yeres: whē as age-spent Dauid, is not able to retaine heate of himselfe, 1, Reg, 1, but Abishag the Shunamite, must cherrish him: when as Mirabili­um cap: de sen. Senix is quasi semi senex, an old man halfe deaths man, destitute of all good meanes to conuersion, vnfit to fast, vn­able to pray, vnapt to watch, or any other exercise. What voice is there more lamenta­ble, then that of Milo, (when Cicero de Sen: seeing the young Champions striuing each with other to ob­taine the conquest) hee cryed out with teares, At hi iam mor­tui sunt, looking on his wi­thered [Page] armes, my bloode is dead; my veynes wrinckled; my sinewes shrunke to no­thing. The counsell of the wise man may be a present memo­randū to euery man, Memen­to Creator is tui, (saith hee) in Eccle, 12 diebus iuventutis tuae, remem­ber thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, while the euill dayes come not; that is, in thy prosperitie of strength, in thy hopefull youth, in thy vigor and lustines of yeeres, before forgetfull old age ouer-take thee. Take thy selfe vnto him, that tooke thee out of the dust, and created thee to his owne likenes: for otherwise it were an euerlasting blemish of [Page 31] ingratitude, a most infamous stampe of iniustice, to hope for the receit of eternall glorie, to receiue at one instance an An­gels inheritance; to enioy for nothing, a place with Christ; and not to tender the best of thy selfe to GOD his father. If it were pollution, to the Al­tar Malac. 1, August. Serm: 36 in Luke. to offer the lame and sicke, with what face thē canst thou present that little, short, and maymed peece of seruice, which lymping olde age will afford?

Qui maior est etate, maior est iniquitate, he which is the child of many yeres, no doubt is the Father of many sinnes, for life, the longer it is, the [Page] more sinfull it is. If in oblati­on of burnt offerings, & peace offerings, the young Lambes Leuit. 1. without blemish were selected for the sacrifice: If the chiefe Exod, 29, fatte of the Ramme, made the sweetest sauour vnto the lord, Leuit, 3, then standes it against the rule of decencie & good manners, to serue in Gods messe, with the bare, leane, and rotten bones of sinnes, that haue lien as many score yeeres in the pit of corruption, as did Lazarus dayes in the graue. If none were admitted to stand before Nabuchadnezer, but children Dan, 1. that were most beautiful, how dare man shuffle into Gods presence, disioynted, crooked [Page 32] old age, and slothfull? There is no reason in the world, that the world should reape that haruest, which GOD hath bought with the sweat of his blood; no law to giue him the lees of wine, that hath taken paines to plant the vineyard, and to treade the presse; no e­quitie to leaue him the glea­nings, to whom the vvhole sheafe belongeth; no iustice to deuide the heart, which hee hath made one, & to giue the sicke & feeble part vnto him, and the strong and lustie vnto the deuill. Nisi venerit vobis­cum Gene, 44, frater vester minimus, vn­lesse you bring your youngest brother (saith Ioseph) you [Page] shall neuer see my face againe: So vnlesse wee bring young Beniamine, that is, the first fruites of our youth, and ten­der them to our euerlasting high Priest, we shal neuer per­take his ioyfull presence; ne­uer enioy his comfortable grace; neuer bee comforted with his diuine happines. As thē young Samuell, & young 1, Sam, 2 1, Reg, 18 Obediah, beeing (as it were) in their child clouts, ministred vnto the Lord: Euen so I, in the spring and prime of my youth, (no way relying vpon aged repentance) will confesse my sinnes, and at the barre of Gods bountie, will I sue out a pardon, saying, O God be mer­cifull [Page 33] to me a sinner.

If in Dauids Peccaui, the fire of his deuotion did ascend, & moone the Heauens to scab­berd vp the wrathful sword in the sheath of mercie, I doubt not, but with the same flame to kindle the like sacrifice; and with as strong a voyce as had Eliah when he brought foode 1, Reg, 17 from Heauen, to mooue the same God to compassion. My vow shall be as able to quench the fire of Gods iustice, as was the voyce of the three chyl­dren Dan: 3, that ouer-came the hote burning fornace; My voyce shall be as able to procure life, as was the voyce of Ezechias, 2, Reg, 20 Ionas, 2, 3 that ouercame death. As Io­nas [Page] out of the bellie of the Whale, so I out of the hell of sinne, will call; As blind Bar­timeus for his want of sight, so Mar. 20, I in the sight of my wants, will cry, O GOD, bee mercifull to mee a sinner.

As young Tobias was not destitute of a Guide to con­duct Tobi, 5, him to Rages, so am not I left ignorant of the way to heauen. Abraham in his iour­ney Gene, 12, to Canaan tooke a Map of the vpper Canaan, and left it registred to all posteritie: first therefore, Egrediendum de terra mea est, I must leaue my Country behind my back, de terra mea, that is, de carne mea, et de meipso▪ I must de­part, [Page 34] and bidde adiewe to the flesh, the world, and my selfe: from pride descending to low humilitie; leauing anger to shake hands with patience; gi­uing lust the farewell to wel­come chastitie; excluding en­uie to entertaine charitie, re­nouncing crueltie for the ex­change of clemencie.

Secondly, egrediendum est à cognatione mea, I must relin­quish & forsake my own kin­dred, that is, the old custome and acquaintance I haue had with Sinne; shaking the vn­cleane spirit out of doores, and beeing washt, neuer to re­turne to my olde vomit; and beeing made whole, I will sin [Page] no more.

Thirdly, de domo Patris mei, I must turne from the si­nister and left hand of this World; from the Prince of darknesse my father, to the right hand of righteousnesse, to the King of Kinges, my heauenly father: which dwel­leth in Terra Viuentiam, in the Land of Vertue, not in the Land of Vice; in the Land of Peace, not in the Land of Paine; in the Land of Ioy, not in the Land of Sorrowe▪ and be partaker of that desi­red Benediction where-with Isaack (in the type and figure of Christ, blessed his sonne Gene, 27 Iacob; Ecce ador Filij mei, be­hold, [Page 35] the svveete smell of my Sonne: the sweet smell of my Sonne, that sauours not of the Onions and Garlicke of E­gypt, but the sweet smell of my Sonne, that hath beene daintilie fedde with the choice Milke and Honnie of Cana­an.

No flight is more com­mended, Iere, 51, Exod, 2. then to flie out of the middle of Babilon, to ha­sten out of Egipt: where mi­series haue no period; and to trauell to the promised Land, where is rest without remoue; mercie without measure; loue without limit; goodnesse in all kind of greatnesse; vvhere habitemus sine metu, abunde­mus [Page] sine defectu, sine fastidio epulemur: where euery Soule may (like the Done in Noabs Arke) rest without feare, en­ioy Bernard. plentie without want, take her repast without contempt.