COnsidering (right honorable and déerely beloued in our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ) the heauie hande of GOD, which for our sinnes hath, and yet doeth lye heauie vpon vs, both in Citie and in Countrie: [Page] whereby so many as haue either sence of their owne sinnes in particular, or of the sinnes of other ingenerall, or a féeling of their owne afflictions, or a sympathie & fellow touch of the common calamitie, haue their heads & their harts cast downe with an extraordinary griefe and sorrow. Being called to supply this place (being the meanest and weakest of all others:) I haue thought it not amisse for the raysing vp (so farre as in me ly­eth) of distressed hearts and mindes, to handle in your honorable audience, this parcell of Scripture, which ministreth vnto vs plentiful matter of singular con­solation & comfort: Herein imitating the example of our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, by whose tender compassi­on, to all them that are distressed, calling them vnto him, Mat. 11.28. and saying: Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauie loa­den, and I will refresh you, was fulfilled as S. Matthew recordeth, that prophe­cie of Esay concerning him: Mat. 12.20. A bruised read shall he not breake, and smoking flax shall he not quench. Hauing also for my warrant the commandement of almigh­tie [Page] God, vnto the Prophet Esay, who vn­to the rest of Gods Prophets, from the Lord speaketh thus: Comfort ye, com­fort ye my people saith your God: Esay 41.42. Speake comfortablie vnto Ierusalem, and crie vn­to her, that her warefare is accomplished, that her iniquitie is pardoned, and that she hath receiued double from the Lord, for al her sinnes. Besides, when the Lord cha­lengeth the Shepheards of Israel by his Prophet Ezechiel, Ezech. 34. [...]. for that they haue not strengthened the weake, nor healed the sicke, nor bound vp that which was bro­ken: It appeareth that it is one especiall parte of our duetie, to bend our speech this way so often as occasion shall (as great occasion at this time doth) offer it selfe vnto vs. God therefore assisting me by his heauenly grace and holy spirite, for he onely it is that giueth the tongue of the learned, Esay 50.4 to knowe to minister a worde in due season, to him that is wea­rie: and you yeelding me your wonted honorable patience and attention, I will endeuour (as the time wil permit) to pro­pose the instructions & comforts of this scripture, vnto your godly consideratiōs.

To procéede therein orderly, I will deuide the whole into two generall parts, euen as it naturally deuideth it selfe. The first part concerneth the high prerogatiue and dignitie whereunto we who beléeue in Christ, and of him are called Christians, are aduanced: namely to bee called, or to be the Sonnes of God, proposed first in the first verse, with a note of admiration: Beholde what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs, that wee should be called the sonnes of God: And repeated againe in the 2. verse, with an examplification of the time: Deerely be­loued, now are we the Sonnes of God, signifying by this particle, Now the present interest that we haue in this our high preferment, though the manifesta­tion thereof in perfection remayneth till the appearance of the Lorde Iesus, at whose appearance it shall be made most euident: for that then, We shall be like him, and see him as hee is, as he inferreth in the seconde parte of this latter verse.

And for the further confirmation of this poynte, that we are the sons of Gods The Apostle sheweth, both the Fountain [Page] from whence this great mercie floweth vnto vs: to wit, from the loue of God: Secondly, the meanes whereby this his great loue was procured vnto vs: which is his méere grace and frée gift, thorowe Iesus Christ. For the Apostle sayeth, he hath giuen vs, for so the word signifyeth, and so it is to be read.

But because there is no truth so plaine but that argumentation may be main­tained against it, and quarrells picked at it: our Apostle answereth two obiecti­ons which might be obiected against the trueth of this comfortable assertion: the one taken from the euil intreatie that we haue in this world. For a man woulde thinke since wee are the sonnes of God, who made the worlde, the heauen, the earth, and al the fulnesse thereof, that the worlde should know vs to be such, and for our fathers sake make much of vs. But there is no such matter: for the worlde, as our Sauiour hath fore-tolde vs, careth for it owne: and as for Gods children, because they are not of the world, it respecteth not them. To this the Apostle answereth in the latter ende of [Page] the first verse, that the cause of the want of better entertainment at the worldes hand, is, because they know not the Fa­ther: as if hee should saie, let it neuer trouble you that are Gods sonnes, that the world know you not, and make no account of you, for it knoweth not the Father that made it, nor the naturall sonne of the Father, by whom he made it, as this our Apostle testifyeth: He was in the world, 1 Iohn. 10. and the world was made by him, but the world knewe him not, there­fore no maruell though it knoweth not vs that are but his adopted Sonnes.

The second obiection is taken from a consideration of our present estate, in re­gard of our selues, to whom no such out­ward royaltie appeareth, as wee thinke appertaineth to the sonnes of so high a Maiestie: whereunto the Apostle aun­swereth, First by a concession in the se­cond clause or comma of the second verse graunting it to bee so, that indeede yet it appeareth not, what wee shal be: Secondly, by a certain declaratiō of the appoynted time, when we shall receiue the perfection of this dignitie, which is [Page] when he shall appeare, that is, when Ie­sus Christ in whom our life is hid, shall come to iudge the quicke & the dead: thē our excellēcie which lyeth now buried as it were with so great ignominie, shall be manifested to our endlesse ioy & comfort.

These obiections thus aunswered, whereby the trueth of this principle re­mayneth inuincible, that wee are the sonnes of God: The Apostle procéedeth to the duetie which wee ought to per­forme in respect of so great a prerogatiue, which is the second generall parte of my text, and contained in the third verse, in these words: And euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe, Psal. 51.5 euen as he is pure: Wherein first he sheweth, that wee are vncleane of our selues, as being conceiued in sin, & borne in iniqui­tie, hauing added therunto infinite thou­sand transgressions of our owne, both in thought, worde and déede, and therefore haue néede to be purged. Secondly, that this worke of clensing or purging, be­longeth generally to euery one that hath this hope without exception: Thirdly, how farre forth we ought to labour and [Page] to proceede the rein: namely, not to giue ouer, vntil we haue obtained to be pure as he is pure: which because we can neuer at­taine to in this corruptible life, wherein sinne hangeth so fast on, and sticketh so hard vnto vs, Heb. 12.1 he meaneth that we should apply the whole course of our life, vnto an earnest studie of sanctification and holi­nesse.

So that the summe of the whole is, that God of his méere loue to vs-warde in Iesus Christ, hath adopted vs in and thorow him, to be his sonnes and daugh­ters: and that this is not a preferment of hereafter onely to be, but a present prerogatiue and dignitie how-euer the world doth not so acknowledge vs, nor the excellencie therof séemeth as yet so ap­parant to our selues: 2, Cor. 7.1 and therefore it is our parts and dueties, as our Father is holy, so also to be holy: and therefore to purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the Spirit, and to growe vp into full holinesse in the feare of God, as the Apostle S. Paule exhorteth. And to shew foorth as S. Peter also admoni­sheth, [...]. Pet. 2.9. the vertues of him, that is, of ou [...] [Page] heauenly Father, which hath called vs out of darkenesse into his marueilous light.

Now to handle euery part and poynt in his owne order, so farre forth as the time will permit: we haue first to consi­der more at large of this our high calling and prerogatiue, and therein to obserue howe by other places of Scripture, both it is confirmed and also amplifyed. This our Euangelist testifyeth: That so many as receiued Iesus Christ, Ioh. 1.12. to them he gaue this prerogatiue, to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his name. The Apostle S. Paule sayeth, Ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And 2. Cor. 6. he alleageth the testimonie of God himselfe out of the Prophet Esay: Gal. 3.2 [...] I will be your God, and you shall be my Sonnes and daughters, saith the Lord Al­mightie. Our blessed Lord and Sauiour when he teacheth vs in the 6. of Matthew to pray thus: O our Father which art in Heauen, thereby plainely signifyeth vn­to vs, that we are Gods children, which [...]hing also the holy spirit of God testify­eth & witnesseth vnto our spirits, in em­boldning [Page] vs to crie Abba Father: So that if wee beleeue these Scriptures which are so plaine and pregnant in this be­halfe, wee neede make no doubt of this great mercie of God vnto vs, in making vs to be his sonnes.

But not onely thus simplie and posi­tiuely the Scripture setteth downe, that we are the Sonnes of God: but it ampli­fyeth the same by gradation vnto the highest degrée. In the 4. Galatians, at the 7. verse, the Apostle amplifyeth it: First, reiecting or renouncing vtterly that seruile estate wherin we once were: saying, Wherefore thou art no more a ser­uant: and then peremptorily setting it downe, but a sonne. There-upon hee ariseth a steppe further, If thou be a sonne, thou art also the heire of God tho­row Christ: And most swéetely in the 8. to the Ron. 17. he reasoneth thus: If we be children, we are also heires, which is one steppe higher, heires of God, a second step higher, and ioynt heires with Christ, which is the highest steppe in the ladder of Ia­cob. And this high prerogatiue of bein [...] not onely a son, but an heire of God, & a [Page] heire annexed with Christ, is else-where oftē set forth: as where it is said, We shal raigne with Christ, as 2. Tim. 12. if we suf­fer with him, wee shall also raigne with him: And where it is said that we shal in­herit the kingdome, as Luke 12.32. Feare not little flocke, for it is your fathers plea­sure to giue you the kingdome. And Mat. 25. Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you from be­fore the foundations of the Worlde: And to his Disciples: Luc. 21.29. I appoynt you a kingdome as my Father appoynted me: and more generally to all: Reue. 3.21. To him that ouercommeth, will I graunt to sitte with me in my throne, euen as I o­uercame and sitte with my Father in his Throne.

The Kingdome of Heauen is Ga­uell-kinde Lande, where-in all the sonnes are indifferently heires: yea, where the daughters haue like portion with the Sonnes, which both magnify­eth highly the mercie of God, and mini­streth consolation and comfort to him or her that is most base and despised in this worlde, when they consider that the [Page] time wil come, when with the best they shall be fellow heires, and be set on a Throne together with them.

And the more comfort it shall mini­ster vnto al, and make this our aduance­ment to be the Sonnes of God, beyond all measure glorious, if wee consider what maner of kingdome it is whereof we are made the vndoubted heires: It is the kingdome of Heauen (beloued) whereof God maketh all his sonnes and daughters heires. Luc. 12.32. Our Sauiour Christ calleth it that kingdome, by excellencie, as a kingdome that surpasseth all king­domes. S. Peter calleth it an inheritance, immortall, 1. Pet. 1.4. inuisible, vndefiled, neuer fa­ding, reserued in heauen for vs: The au­thour of the Epistle vnto the Hebrewes, calleth it a kingdome which cannot be shaken: Heb. 12.28. Reuol. 21.19 21 The beautie and glorie of this kingdome is set foorth in the Reuelation, vnder the name of the new Citie Ieru­salem, where the foundations of the walls are said, to bee garnished with pretious stones: The gates of the Citie to bee of Pearle, the streetes of the Citie to be pure golde: expressing by these things which [Page] are of the greatest price and excellen­cie with vs, the beautie and the glorie of that kingdome which cannot be expres­sed: The ioyes of this Kingdome are such, as eye hath not séene, eare hath not heard, & which the hart of mā is not able to conceiue, 1. Pet. 5.4. for we shal there receiue that crowne of glory, which shall neuer fade: Yea, as S. Paule calleth it, a far most ex­cellent, and an eternall waight of glorie. 2. Cor. 4.17 But of all this glory, were it farre more, if more could be, if one alone should bee partaker, euen as the Philosophers puts the case: or if he should haue such part­ners and fellowes (as this world for the most part in these daies affoordeth) as would be readie to deceiue, and to di­spossesse him of all, or continually by their naughtines vexe him, 2. Pet. 2 6 as the Sodo­mites did the soule of righteous Lot and the daughters of Heth, Esaus wifes, Gen. 27.40 were a griefe of heart to Isaac and to Rebeccah. If I say, it should thus fall out with vs in the kingdome of heauen, the comfort thereof would be but litle, as mingled with so bitter a gall. But to increase our comfort in this respect, the Scripture [Page] sheweth, that we shal not be there alone, or mixed with enuious, deceitfull, or o­therwise wicked wretches, but we shall haue the companie of innumerable An­gels, Ieb. 12.22. and of the spirits of iust and perfect men, and of Iesus the mediatour of the New Testament: And as for Enchan­ters, whoremongers, murtherers, Ido­laters, lyers, and generally, all Male­contents and euill disposed persons, they shall be shut out: Reue. 21.27 For none vncleane thing shall enter in at the gates of this citie to deminish the ioyes, or to pollute the glo­rie thereof. The exercise of Gods chil­dren in this Citie, shall not bee Plough or Cart, or planting or grafting, or buy­ing and selling, and traffiquing by Sea or by Lande: it shall not be Hauking or Hunting, much lesse dicing and carding, or any such other like profane recreati­ons, but it shall be a continuall singing of Allelu-iah, Reu. 19 4 Reue. 7.12. prayse and glorie and wise­dome, and thankes, and honour and pow­er and might, bee vnto our God for euer­more. No diseases, either plague or pesti­lence shall be in this kingdome: no infir­mities either in bodie or in soule, shall [Page] eclipse the ioyes and the glorie thereof: For all teares shall there be wiped from all faces, Reuel. 21.4 there shall be neither hunger or thirst, or heate or colde, neither death a­ny more. And what more can be added to expresse the height of that glorie, the vnspeakable ioyes of that heauenly kingdome, whereof wee are heires apparant, that are the children of God? Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum ferrea vox, &c. Not if I had an hundreth tongues, and an hundreth mouthes, and a voice so strong as Iron, were I able to descipher in the perfection, the least ioye and glorie of this celestiall inheritance. Oh that as Moyses standing on mount Pisgah, & beholding the land of Canaan, Deut, 3.27 in the length and breadth thereof, or as the Apostles in mount Thabor, Matt. 17.2 séeing the brightnesse and splendure of the Lorde Iesus, when he was transfigured: or as S. Stephen, seeing the heauens open, Act. 7.56. be­helde the glorie of God, and Iesus stand­ing at his right hand: Or as S. Paule, transported into the third heauen, 2. Cor. 12.4. saw & heard things ineffable. So it would please God to open the eies of our vnderstan­ding [Page] and mindes, whereby we might haue, if not a perfect sight, yet a glimpse of this heauenly kingdome, that so wee might be throughly rauished with a loue and a desire thereof.

If in our greatest heauines, the newes of some great inheritance, that is be­falne vs, or of some smaller matter, lif­teth vp our heads, and driueth all sor­rowes from our hearts: should not this newes which is brought vnto vs of such a glorious kingdome in the middest of all our extremities and distresses, reliue our dead spirits, & raise vp our heads that hang downe? What should be the cause that we should be so much addicted to the one, and so litle affected to the other? Is it because the kingdome wee bring you tidings of, is an heauenly, and not an earthly kingdome? Doe wee not in the Fable, iustly condemne Aesops Cocke of méere folly, for preferring a Barlie corne to a pretious Pearle? And is not Esau iustly called by the authour of the E­pistle to the Hebrewes, Heb. 12.16 prophane: for that hee regarded a messe of Potage, more then the honour of his birth-right? And [Page] deserue we not a greater condemnatiō, if we prefer earth to heauē, & a momentable pleasure, to an eternall & endles weight of glorie? Our kingdome, beloued, is not the lesse to bee accepted, for that it is not earthly, but ten thousand, thousand times the more to be estéemed: for were our kingdome earthly, it should be also transitorie: were our kingdome earthly, wee should haue therein much sorrow, care and griefe, mixed with smal felicity: were our kingdome earthly, wee might soone be dispossessed thereof, either by o­pen warres, or by secrete conspiracie. How suddenly was Zedechias disposses­sed of his kingdome, and caried captiue into Babilon, his eies thrust out, Iere. 52.11. and him selfe thrust into perpetuall prison? Howe lamentably doth Moyses (when he was made gouernour of that people) com­plaine, of the heauie burthen thereof, Num. 11.15 and in the bitternesse of his soule, desireth of the Lord that he would rather kill him, then to laye so heauie a loade vpon him? And for the transitorie estate of king­domes, as of al other earthly things, both small and great, who séeth not that they [Page] can endure no longer then the earth en­dureth? [...]. Pet. 3, 7 which, yet it belong, must by fy­er be consumed with all the workes there­in. And yet who hath a lease of his life, or an assurance to hold his good til then? How many thousands of our brethren within some fewe wéekes, by their spée­die death, hath left vnto vs a president of this our fickle and vncertaine state? ma­ny of them leauing their substance not an inheritance for their babes, but a praye & a spoyle to strangers, to waste and to deuoure. 1. Pet. 1.3.4.5. Blessed therefore be God the Father of our Lord Iesus, who accor­ding to his aboundant mercie, hath begot­ten vs to a liuely hope, by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead, To an inhe­ritance, not mortal, but immortall, inuisi­ble, vndesiled, neuer fading, reserued not on earth, but in heauen for vs, Which are kept by the power of God thorow faith vnto saluation, which is prepated to bee shewed in the last time.

Thus we haue séene how euery ma­ner of waye, this our heauenly enheri­tance excelleth all earthly kingdomes, and thereby, to how great a dignitie it is [Page] that we are exalted vnto, in that we are made the sonnes of God, and heires of that euerlasting kingdome of glorie.

And the consideration hereof mini­streth great comfort vnto vs, in regards of our deare friends deceased: for that we know, that so many of them as dyed in the faith of Christ, they haue receiued the possession of this kingdome, enfran­chized with a more glorious fréedome, then all the fréedomes of the world, and haue gotten the victorie of Satan, sinne and Hell, 1. Thes. 4.16. and death no longer to holde their bodies, thē the trumpet shal sound: Arise ye dead, and come into iudgement. Why therefore should we bewaile them who from miserie are gone vnto glorie, who from pouertie are ascended vp into a throne of maiestie: who from continu­all labour and toyle, are remooued into a place of perpetuall rest and quietnesse [...] according vnto that voice that saide vn­to Iohn: Write, Reuel. 14.13 blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their la­bours.

For ourselues, whom God in mercie hath yet passed by, and granted to liue to [Page] sée this day, we may hereby receiue this comfort, that we being his children this visitation, if it shall please him to laye it vpon vs, as he hath done vpon many of our brethren better then wee, shall not tende vnto our destruction, but to the gi­uing of vs season and liuerie as it were, and full possession of this our heauenly inheritance.

But you will say vnto me, Is there then no note of God his displeasure and anger in this sicknesse? Is it not an hea­uie iudgement of God, which our sinnes haue drawne downe vpon vs? Yes veri­lie, manifest notes of God his iust con­ceiued wrath and fearefull iudgements appeareth in this visitation: and that as to the bad, so to the good: as to them that are dead, so to vs that remaine aliue.

A feareful iudgement it is to the wic­ked and reprobate, if there be any such that haue departed: who, as they liued not in the feare, so died, not in the fa­uour of God. For this sudden cutting them off, sheweth that their sinnes were ripe and growne to a full height, and that they are now gathered as it were in [Page] bundles to be throwne into hell fyer.

A fearefull iudgement also it is, euen to God his owne children that are de­parted: the guilt and eternall punish­ment of whose sinnes, though they bee forgiuen in Christ, and they receiued to mercie through him: yet God by this ex­traordinarie and sharpe, though tempo­rall affliction, would shew that hee was highly displeased, both with them and with vs for our sinnes, and that there­fore he hath taken them away, the most of them in the prime and middest of their daies, from further enioying the bles­sing of long life, which also he promiseth vnto them that truely doe loue and ho­nour him.

A fearefull iudgement it is vpon vs that are remaining: for what is this de­uiding, in so vncomfortable a maner, of the husband from the wife, of the wife from the husband, of parents from their children, & children from their parents, of friend from friend, and acquaintance from acquaintance? but as it were a tor­turing and deuiding of the same bodie, into diuerse pieces: when the husband [Page] dieth, the wife hath lost her head, when the wife dieth, the husband hath lost his right hand: When the parents die, the children haue lost the eye, to guide them: when the children die, the parents haue lost the sight that should comfort them: when a brother dieth, the brother hath lost parte of his owne flesh and bones: when a friend dieth, his friend hath lost (as the Philosopher calleth him) alter i­dem, another himselfe: Besides, the ca­lamities which befal the common states as not onely whole families to be deso­lated, but Cities and Townes to be dis­peopled: the number of poore Widowes and Orphanes to bee encreased, trades and occupations to be ceased, yea, tillage it selfe to be decaied, whereby sore fa­mine is threatned. It passeth my reach, beloued, to sounde the depth of God his fearefull iudgement in this behalfe: for this breach made vpon so many thou­sands of the people, is as it were a breach made in the wall of a citie, whereby the enemie entreth and possesseth the same.

What then remaineth, but that wee turne from our sinnes, that God may [Page] turne from his wrathfull indignation? A naturall Father, though hee loue his sonne well, wil not leaue chastising him till hee hath left offending: and if in the time of his chastisement, hee sheweth himselfe stubborne, and to haue an ob­stinate minde to continue in his naugh­tines, he wil lay on more heauie stripes, and his soule shall not spare for his mur­muring: we haue a most tender and mer­cifull Father, gratious and abounding in all compassion towardes vs, we haue offended him in most grieuous & feareful maner. It grieueth my hart, O London, to thinke vpon, much more to rehearse the horrible sinnes committed in thée: for, consider whether as against Ieru­salem, God may not complaine thus a­gainst thée? In thee they haue despised Father and Mother: Ezech. 22.7 In thee they haue op­pressed the stranger: In thee they haue vexed the fatherlesse and the Widdow: Thou hast despised mine holy things, and polluted my Sabboth. In thee are men to carie tales to shead bloud: In thee are they that eate vpon the Mountaines, as Popish recusants: In the middest of thee [Page] they commit abhominations: as incest, and adulterie: In thee are they that take gifts to shed bloud. Thou hast taken the vsurie and the increase, and thou hast de­frauded thy neighbour by extortion. And would to God that this bitter complaint were all, and that it might be onely a­gainst thée; But against thée O England in generall, doth God thus complaine, with a Bill containing the same, and more & more grieuous accusations both against Courte and Countrie, against Church and common weale: as of blas­phemie, of drunkennes, of pride & coue­tousnesse, of horrible Witchcraft & sorce­ry, of immeasurable briberie: of buying & selling offices in the common weale: of buying & selling dignities in the Church: of insatiable auarice & ambition in both: in the one, of heaping offices to offices, in the other, of laying benefices to benefi­ces, in neither a care or conscience to performe the dutie to the common good, but to their owne gaine and commodi­ties. And herein, God appealeth to the consciences of you all, that he slandereth not the state: neither doeth this bill of [Page] complaint tend to the disparagement of our late blessed Soueraigne deceased, in whose times these abhominations sprāg and grew vp, and increased to such an height. For, be it farre from me, that I should let a sillable fall to the dishonour of her being dead whom (as dutie bound with my soule) I honoured being aliue. The like enormities to these, fell out in the raigne of good and vertuous kings: Yea, in their raigne who were most re­nowned of al the rest: as of Ezechiah and Josias, as appeareth by the complaint of the Prophets, who prophecied in their daies. It was in the daies of Ezechiah, that Esaiah the Prophet thus complay­neth. Esa. 22.12. In that daye did the Lorde God of Hostes, call vnto weeping and mourning, & to baldnesse, and to a girding of Sacke­cloth, and beholde, ioy and gladnesse, kil­ling of Sheepe & slaying of Oxen, eating & drinking, to morrow we shall die. It was in the time of Ezechiah, when Micah the Prophet thus cōplaineth. cap. 7. ver. 2.4 The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men, the best of them is as a bryer, and the [Page] most righteous, sharper then a thorne hedge. It was in the time of Josiah, Jere. cap, 3. vers. 6. & 10. That God comman­ded Ieremie thus to vp-braide Iudah. The rebellious Israel hath iustifyed her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah, for they haue not returned vnto me with all their hart, but fainedly saith the Lord: and therefore he biddeth him. Iere. 5.1.3.4.5 &c. To runne to and fro in the streetes of Ierusalem, and to aske and to enquire if he could finde a man that executeth iu­stice and iudgement, and seeketh the truth, & he would spare it. And he got him to the poore men, & alas they were then, as for the most part they are now, Igno­rant and foolish, they knew not the waye of the Lord nor the iudgement of their God. He went to the great men, and they were such, as for the most part they are nowe, they made great profession, but they also had altogether broke the yoke, & burst the bands, that is, they would not be ordered by the Law of God. It was in the time of Iosiah, that Zephaniah the Prophet complaineth thus, Zeph. 1.12 That there were men in Ierusalem frozen in their [Page] dregs, & say in their hearts, the Lord will neither do good nor euill: nay thus more generally in the 2. cap. 1. 2, Woe be to the polluted, to the robbing Citie, she heard not the voice, shee receiued not correcti­on, she trusted not in the Lord, she drewe not neere to her God. And particularly, as it were by name, in the 3. verse. Her Princes within her are as Lyons, her Iudges as Wolues in the Euening, which leaue not the bones to y ^e morning: her Prophets are light and wicked persons, her Priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie; and wrested the Law. And yet all these corruptions whereof they thus bitterly complaine, and for which they were not accused for slandring of the state, were no stayne to their memoriall. For that they laboured and endeuoured to their vtmost, to haue reformed them, as their histories suffi­ciently doe shewe, and therefore are Chronicled to haue done vprightly in the sight of the Lord. In like manner, who is ignorant of the godly zeale of Quéene Elizabeth, for the true worship and seruice of God for suppressing of vice, both in Church & common weale, [Page] and maintenance of vertue? so that her Throne shee left and resigned to Noble King IAMES, vnstained of these abho­minations: the guilt thereof to cleaue to them and their posteritie, who were the causers of them. But as Ioab and the sonnes of Zeruiah were to hard for Da­uid: and Sebna was a Patron of vngod­lines vnder Ezechias, and the Princes, the Iudges, the Prophets, the Priestes corrupt vnder Iosiah: and yet none of these good Kings bore the blame of their euill counsellours: Sam. 3.39. So it is nothing to the impeachmēt of the honour of Quéene Elizabeth, but rather renowneth her much, that she continued her course, and to the last yéere encreased her zeale, Esa. 22, 15 which could be quenched neither by any Ioab, nor by al the sonnes of Zeruiah, nor by any Sebnah, nor by any ambitious Prince, or corrupt Iudge, or flattering Prophet or Prelate, nor by that maine sea of iniquitie, which in her time so out­rageouslie burst foorth: But it tendeth much to the condemnation of this Citie and our Lande, that hauing so godly a Gouernesse, wee regarded not her go­uernment, [Page] but neglected her Lawes and liued after our own wils and pleasures, in all the abhominations before rehear­sed.

And nowe, what could our gratious God and heauenly Father do lesse, then, first taking her to his mercie (whom we were vnworthie longer to haue) to take the rodde into his owne hand, to beat vs for our sinnes, to correct vs for our ini­quities, & to prooue, if his owne chastise­ment would effect our amendment? Let vs therefore euerie one of vs, in the feare of God, who stand in awe of his iudge­ments, turne from his owne euil waies, and from the wickednesse that is in his handes, as did the Niniuites. Iona, 3, 10. Let eue­ry man cease to do euill, Esa, 1.16. and learne to do well: Let euery man plough vp his fallow ground, & sowe no more among thornes. Ierem. 4, 4. Let euery man cast away the abhominati­ons of his eies and of his heart: yea, Eze, 20.7 let vs all turne to the Lorde with fasting, wéeping and mourning, Ioel. 2.13. renting our harts and not our garments.

Oh let it be far from vs, that this com­plaint that the Prophet Ieremie taketh [Page] vp against Ierusalem, should be taken vp against vs. O Lord, thou hast stricken them, but they haue not sorrowed, thou hast consumed them, but they haue refu­sed correction, they haue made their fa­ces harder then a stone, and haue refused to returne. For if notwithstanding these iudgements of God, we continue still in those sins which haue thus sore kindled his wrath, if in this day of our visitatiō, wherein the Lorde calleth to wéeping & mourning, to sackcloth & ashes, we fal to eating & drinking, that is, to our wonted gluttonie & drunkennes, & other abho­minations: Let vs assure our selues that the wrath of God will still burne, and his arme be stretched out still, vntil hee hath laide our land waste, and this Citie without an inhabitant.

As therefore it standeth euery man vpon to mend one, so to you right ho­norable, and your worshipful assistants, it belongeth to reforme them that will not reforme themselues, and betimes to cut off all the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord. And for a more ge­nerall redresse of all abuses and corrup­tions, [Page] both in our Church and common weale: we ought earnestly and continu­ally, to pray vnto almightie God, to put into the heart of our most Noble and blessed Soueraigne, the kings Maiestie, both constantly to withstand all opposi­tions of men, of corrupt mindes, and to hasten as he hath most zealouslie begun the full amendment of whatsoeuer is a­misse: euen to the making of a couenant betwixt God and his people, that they shall séeke the Lorde, and that whosoe­uer will not séeke the Lord God of Is­raell, that he be slaine, whether hee bee great or small, man or woman, as did Asa King of Iudah. For God will not be reconciled vnto vs, 2. Cro. 15.12 vntill we yéelde vn­to him: For hee is our Father, and wée are his Children, for our sinnes there­fore doeth he thus smite vs: And as the Father ceaseth not his punishing hand so long as his Sonne continueth obsti­nate: No more, now he hath begun, wil hee giue ouer, vntill wee humble our selues vnfaynedly before him: For since our sinnes haue in this sort incensed his wrath as we must néeds confes, though [Page] his mercie vnto vs that are his children appeareth herein that the finall end of this visitation, tendeth to the perfecting thorow his mercie, which triumpheth ouer his iustice of our eternall salua­tion, Iam. 2 yet his angrie countenance shew­eth it selfe no lesse vnto vs in the man­ner thereof, then the anger of a displea­sed Father appeareth in his face, when hee chastizeth his disobedient childe (whom he loueth) for his good.

And thus haue I shewed vnto you, right Honorable and beloued, how in this visitation, wee may receiue both singular comfort ouer them that are de­parted, and for our selues who yet re­maine to be disposed of by his good will and pleasure, and also perceiue God his iust displeasure and anger against vs for our sinnes.

It remaineth, that we procéede in the pursuit of God his mercie to vs, which we haue shewed to haue bene excéeding great, in making vs to be his Sonnes: and shal now shew to be excéeding grea­ter, in considering of the originall and fountaine from whence this so vnspeak­able [Page] a mercie floweth vnto vs. For the verie original spring, is the loue of God: for so our Apostle affirmeth: Behold what loue the Father hath giuē vnto vs: Which also our Sauiour Christ confirmeth, say­ing: So God loued the Worlde, Iohn. 3.16. that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne, &c. and that not an ordinarie, but an extraordi­narie loue, for so the wordes impor­teth, and which the word [...] which our Apostle here vseth also signifyeth. For this word signifyeth, what maner: with an admiration: so that the text is to be read: thus, behold what maner of loue the Father hath giuen vs, For so is this word also vsed. Mar. 13.1. What maner of stones, and what maner of building, as if they should say not ordinarie, but ex­traordinarie stones, not ordinarie, but extraordinarie buildings are here. So in the 8. of Matt. 27. after our Sauiour had stilled the raging of the Sea, the men marueiled saying: What maner of man is this: as if they should say what rare and singular man? Such a loue then is the loue of God, whereby hee hath chosen vs to be his children, as is [Page] past vnderstanding, as is extraordina­rie, as is a wonder of wonders: & there­fore here set forth by two words of won­derment. Beholde, what maner? And be­loued, you shall the better beholde and consider how admirable and wonderful a loue it is wherewith God hath loued vs? If ye obserue first on whom he hath-bestowed it: Secondly, in what sort hee hath bestowed it: And thirdly, by what persō he hath effected it. He hath bestow­ed it vpon vs, and hee hath bestowed it gratis in maner of a gift, and he hath ef­fected it, by his owne onely Sonne our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ whom he gaue vnto death for vs.

For the first, it is said that he gath gi­uen his loue to vs: For our selues, if wee had bene the friendes of God, or had in any wise deserued any small matter at his hand, the loue had not bene so great, as louing vs that had loued him, accor­ding to that our Sauiour saith of our ma­ner of loue one towards another. If yee loue them that loue you, Math. 5.46 what rewarde shall ye haue? doe not also the verie Pub­licanes and most notorious sinners thus? [Page] The Iewes tolde our Sauiour, that the Centurion was worthie for his deserts towarde their Nation, that hee should heale his seruant: which, had it ben true, the benefite bestowed vpon him, Luk. 7.4, had not bene so great: But the Centurion ac­knowledgeth himselfe vnworthie, not pleading any desert: for there is no such matter indéede of desert on our part to God-warde: for we were the vtter ene­mies of God, and this enmitie was wrought betwixt God and vs, by rea­son of our sins. For as God by reason of our sin, was at enmity with vs, Ephe, 2.3. in which respect, we are called the childrē of Gods wrath: so we were at vtter variance or defyance with him, Iob. 2, 9. cursing him to the face, as Iob his wife did councell him: which also the Apostle, Rom. 8.7, testify­eth, when as he sayeth: The wisdome of the flesh is an vtter enemie to God, for it is not a subiect, therefore a rebell to the Law of God, neither otherwise can be.

In that therefore God through Iesus Christ, yéelded on his part to loue vs, we continuing our disobedience and hatred towards him: how great must [Page] that his loue be? For if the partie wrong­ed shall yéelde vnto him that doeth the wrong, and shall séeke his good will, and his good, what rare loue do we account it? yea, so rare, as is seldome (the more is the pittie) to be séene among vs.

This loue of God therefore in this poynt, is a rare loue, and excéeding ad­mirable, in that hee loued vs, being his enemies, and sought after vs, when wee sought not after him, according to that he saieth by the Prophet Esay 65.1. I haue offred my selfe to be found of them that asked not: For so the verbe Passiue there vsed, is to bee translated. Like as the Apostle Ro. 10.20. rendreth it. I haue bene made manifest: For otherwise the sence of the first comma in that swéete sentence, cannot be perceiued. I offered my selfe (saieth God) to bee founde of thē that asked not I was found of thē that sought mee not. I saide behold mee, be­holde me, to a Nation that called not vp­on my name: And as by the ministerie of his Prophets in former time, so by our Ministerie now, doeth he still seeke af­ter vs, that continue still our enmitie to [Page] him: For wee are the embassadours, saith the Apostle. 2. Corinth. 5.20. for Christ, as though God did beséech you thorow vs, we pray you in Christ stead, that ye bee reconciled vnto God: The greatnesse therfore of God his loue towards vs in this behalfe, doeth the Apostle S. Paule highly, as it deserueth renowne: Doubt­lesse, saieth he for a righteous man, one can scarcely be found that will die: but for a good man it may bee one dare die: but God magnifieth his mercie vnto vs, Rom. 5, that when we were his enemies, Christ dyed for vs. And againe, when wee were ene­mies, we were reconciled vnto him by the death of his Sonne. This he prosecuteth in many words in the 2. Ephes. but espe­cially in the 4. verse in these words. But God which is rich in mercie thorow his great loue, wherewith he loued vs, euen when we were dead in sinnes, that is, his mortall enemies, he quickned vs toge­ther in Christ. Thus wee sée, how in this respect this holy Apostle magnifyeth the greatnesse of Gods loue and grace, Ephe, 2, 7. cal­ling it the exceeding riches of his grace: for that he loued vs, when we were his [Page] enemies. And therefore doe wee not ac­counte them worthily enemies to the grace of God, who doe obscure or ra­ther denie this his great grace, operibus praeuisis, by workes fore-séene: and I know not what the Lord Iesus himself saw no such workes fore-séene when he taught vs to say: we are vnprofitable ser­uants, we haue done but that which was our dutie to doe. This our Apostle sawe no such fore-séene workes, and there fore he renowneth this loue of GOD, Rom. 11. [...]. because hee loued vs first, saying in the 4. chap. 10. Herein is loue, not that we lo­ued God, but that hee loued vs first: and againe, in the 19. verse: We loue him, for he loued vs first. This doctrine then teacheth vs, that by grace we are saued, and therfore not by works alone, nor by grace and workes together: for workes and grace cannot goe together in the worke of iustifycation, for so the Apostle reasoneth. If it be of grace, it is no more of works, or else were grace no more grace: but if it be of workes, it is no more grace, or else were worke no more worke: Aug, de fide et o­per. Cap. 14 Well therefore saith S. Augustne, concerning [Page] good workes: Sequutur iustifica [...]ū non prae­caedunt iustificandum: they follow him that is iustifyed, they goe not before him that is to be iustifyed. For by the way, this is to be noted, that though workes saue vs not, yet we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Iesus vnto good works, for to glorifie him that saued vs, according as Zacharias sayth in his song: Wee are deliuered from the hands of our enemies, that wee might serue him with­out feare, all the dayes of our life in holi­nesse and righteousnesse before him. And the grace of God, saieth the Apostle vnto Titus, that bringeth saluation vnto all men: hath appeared and teacheth vs, that we should denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts: and that wee should liue soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world. And our Apostle mak­eth this to be our dutie, namely, to purge our selues, wherof, if time would permit, to come to the handling of y ^e part, which is, the second parte of our text, we would by the grace of God more largely speake.

Secondly, this doctrine teacheth vs, to loue one another: which lesson, this [Page] our Apostle inferreth vpon the loue of God, 1. Thes. 4.9. in the 11. verse of this Chapter: Be­loued, if God so loued vs, wee ought also to loue one another. 1. Iohn. 3.18 So S. Paule sayeth, We are taught of God, that is, by the example of God, Iohn. 2.16. to loue one another, and that not in worde and in tongue, giuing onely faire words: Goe in peace, be fil­led, bee warmed, and giue naught, and thinke naught, but in deede and in truth, that is, wee ought to manifest our loue vnto all, by dealing faithfully and true­ly with all men, and to them that are in want, by ministring vnto their necessi­tie. For hereby is loue proued, as by a touch-stone If any man hath this worlds goods, 1. Ioh. 3.1 and seeth his brother want, and shutteth vp his compassion frō him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him? as if hee should saye, Such a man neither loueth God nor man: And beloued, now is the time if euer you will, that you must ma­nifest your loue to God by tender com­passion on them that are in néede. I néed not to vtter vnto you the great miserie, of the poore of this Citie, and of the Suburbs thereof: the want of the Wid­dow [Page] and of the fatherlesse, and of the poore man of occupation, who in this time wanteth woorke, and therefore wanteth foode for him and his familie. Their crie is come before you out of this place, and you haue most honorably and charitably considered of it. I beséech you in the tender bowels of the Lord Iesus, consider of it still, for the sicknesse thus still (though not in so great measure, the Lord be euer praised for it) continuing, & the Winter so hard approching, and none or litle worke, as they say, stirring, the number of the poore, & their necessity, do encrease daily: your liberality there­fore must also encrease, Rather then the poore should want, make a banke for the poore, it would be the most honora­ble banke that euer was made, and most profitable for the aduenturers. Let him that hath twentie thousand pound, cast in two thousande: Let him that hath ten thousand pound, cast in a thousand: Let him that hath a thousand, cast in a hun­dreth, let him that hath an hundreth, cast in ten. I know I shall be censured by many to speake like a foole, but I re­gard [Page] not their censure. For this propor­tion is not like to his that saide, let him that hath two coates, giue one to him that hath none, and let him that hath meate do likewise: nor like vnto his that said, Halfe of my goods I giue to the poore: Luc. 3.11 Nor like vnto his that said, Sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore: Luc. 19.8 Mat. 19.21 Nor like to theirs that sold their houses and possessions, and brought the price to bee distributed to them that wanted: Act. 4.34 Luc. 21.2 Nor like hers, that hauing but two mites, cast them into this banke, being all the liuing she had, being content to worke for more. Yet as the meaning of these sayings, and exam­ples is not to set any iust rate, but to shew that charitie must ouer-flowe in time of common necessitie: so my mea­ning is not, to prescribe vnto your wise­domes, either a iust proportion, or a ma­ner of taxing: but to shew how farre­forth in liberalitie, euerie one without compulsion, of his owne willing and vo­luntarie minde (for Hilarem da [...]orem dili­git dominus: 2. Cor 9.7 The Lord loueth a chéereful giuer) ought to excéede, to relieue the great miserie of them that are in want. [Page] And this to doe in regard of that loue wherewith God haue loued vs: for hee loued vs before wee loued him: he loued vs, when wee were his enemies: and therefore his example not onely teach­eth vs to loue such as are our friendes, which stand in néede, or to loue them, who, as they haue done vs no good, so they haue done vs no hurt, but euen them that haue wronged vs, we ought to helpe. Farre therefore ought these, (though vsual, yet vnchristian spéeches) be from vs: shall I loue him that hates me? shal I do him good that hath wron­ged me? Alas, beloued, God stood not vpon these tearmes with vs: he loued vs when we were his enemies, when wee blaspheamed him, Math. 5.4 [...]. & shal not we by his example, who also doeth good to the iust and the vniust, causing his sunne to shine, & his raine to fall on them indifferently, shall not wee (I saye) by his example, learne to blesse thē that curse vs, Mat. 5.44. to pray for them that persecute vs, to doe good to them that wrong vs?

Let vs not deceiue our selues in boa­sting that wee are the children of God: [Page] for vnlesse this affection in some mea­sure be in vs, we are no sonnes of God, nor God any Father of ours.

But to procéede in magnifying fur­ther this loue of God: the Apostle affir­meth that this loue which is bestowed vpō vs, is in maner of a gift, gratis: For he hath giuen it vs. Some men deserue loue for some good turnes or deserts that they haue done, and so make him to bee a friend, which before was an enemie: as Iacob won Esau: Gene. 32.20, But who hath giuen to the Lord first, and he shall be recom­pensed. Esa. 40.13. Rom. 11.35 So the Lord demandeth by his Prophet, and by his Apostle, and who euer haue stood forth, & āswerd to the de­maund, I haue giuen: Not Abraham, for he acknowledgeth himselfe to bee dust and ashes. Not Dauid, for he prayeth: Enter not into iudgement with thy ser­uant, Gene. 18 27. Psal. 143. Iob. 28, 20. O Lord. Not Iob, for he confesseth: If hee should iustifie himselfe, his owne mouth would condemne him. God hath not set his loue to sale vnto vs: for if he had, whereby should or could we haue procured it? should we haue giuen him a thousand Rammes (to vse the wordes of [Page] the Prophet Micah) or ten thousand ri­uers of oyle: Mic. 6.7. should wee haue offered him the fruit of the bodie for the sinnes of our soule? Psal. 50.10. none of all these earthly things are ours, they are all his: so he testifyeth. All the beasts of the field are mine, Eze. 18.4. and so are the cattle vpon a thousand hilles: And as the soule of the fathers is mine, sayeth the Lorde, so is the soule of the sonnes. And more generally: The earth is the Lords, and all the fulnesse thereof, the rounde worlde, and all that dwell therein. Psal. 24.1. But were these earthly things all ours, yet were they all too base to buy the least parcell of God his heauenly grace and loue towards vs. For what comparison is there betwixt earthly things and hea­uenly things? betwixt things temporall and transitorie, and things spiritual, and eternall?

The string whereupon many, and especially the Church of Rome doeth harpe in this respect, is our righteousnes: but what our righteousnes is, Yea al our righteousnesses are (the Prophet Esay telleth vs, Esa. 64 6. when hee saith they are) as a stained cloth, which lotheth the eyes of [Page] them that beholde, so that with displea­sure and detestation they turne from it. Our righteousnesse therefore in it selfe considered without the merit of Christ, by whom they are accepted, as fruits of our faith, they are too much stained, and therefore too base to procure the aboun­dant riches of the loue of God. And this we must néedes of our selues confesse, if we be not caried away with too great a selfe-loue, & weening of our selues: for e­uen our conscience which is a thousand, witnesses, witnesseth against vs, the manifold corruptions which cleaue vn­to the best and most holy worke that we doe.

The trueth therefore of this doctrine remayneth inuinsible, and néedeth no further testimonie of any man, that, that eternall loue of God, wherewith hee hath so loued vs, as to make vs his chil­dren and heires, is, of his frée gift be­stowed and giuen vnto vs, according as our Apostle here sayth, Behold what loue the father hath giuen vnto vs, that wee should be called the Sonnes of God: and according to that the Apostle saith. Gal. [Page] 3.22. The promise by the faith of Christ Iesus, is giuen to them that beleeue: for this one worde giuen, so often repeated by the Apostle, if there were no further argument to prooue the fréenes of God his loue and grace towardes vs, is suffi­cient to stoppe all mouthes, that open themselues to the derogation thereof. But yet further to remooue all opinion and conceit of our owne worthinesse, and to set foorth the loue of GOD, to bee beyond all measure, GOD to aun­swere the vtmost tittle of his iustice, and to cancell all obligations and hand-wri­tings against vs for our sinnes, finding nothing in vs, whereby to saue vs, ac­cording as one well confesseth to him: Nihil inuenis vnde salues, & multum inue­nis, vnde damnes: August de verbis Apost ser. 16. thou findest nothing for which thou maiest saue vs, but thou fin­dest much, for which thou maist damne vs. God I saie, sent his onely Sonne Christ Iesus, who is with the Father, and the holy spirit, God blessed for euer, to take on him our nature, Rom. 9.5 and therein to satisfie the whole seueritie of his iu­stice, and to pay the vtmost farthing of [Page] our debt. The greatnesse of the loue of God in this behalfe, doeth our Sauiour himselfe expresse, as we haue shewed, in saying: Col. 2.14. God so loued the world, that hee gaue his only begotten sonne vnto death, that whosoeuer should beleeue on him, should not perish, but haue life euerla­sting. This also doeth our Apostle re­nowne, in the fourth Chapter verse 10. Herein is loue, Iohn. 3.16. not that wee loued God, but that hee loued vs, and sent his onely begotten sonne, to be a reconciliation for our sinnes: Where the loue of God is set in the first place, for the cause effici­ent and principall, his sonne sent for the cause materiall, and to be a reconciliati­on for our sinnes: for a cause finall, no­thing required of vs, but that we beléeue in him, and loue one another for him, as he hath loued vs. If the consideration hereof were throughly layed to hart, it would quickly remooue all proud opini­on of our owne merit, which is thus ex­cluded by including the merit of Christ, as alone the sufficient sacrifice propitia­torie for our sinnes: and it would swal­low vs vp with an admiration of the [Page] excéeding loue of God toward vs: Epe, 318. The height, the depth, the length, the breadth whereof is incomprehensible, and make vs ashamed of our owne corruption: Gold and siluer, and pretious stones be­ing of no valew: all the Sacrifices and ceremonies of the old Law, being of no worth: his blessed and glorious Angels being insufficient to effect our ransome, whō he so loued: he spared not his owne onely sonne, who was in his bosome more deare vnto him, than the signet of his owne right hande, who willingly said also; Loe I come, and gaue him to the death, by his death to redéeme, Psal. 40.6, 7 Heb. 10, 5, [...]. vs ac­cording to that swéet saying of S. Peter, We were not redeemed by siluer or gold, 1. Pet. 1.18.19 or by any other corruptible things, but by the pretious bloud of Iesus Christ, as of a Lambe immaculate, and without spot. And wee, in the meane while wretched men and women, straine at euery curte­sie, and thinke euery thing too much we do in loue towards our brethren, whom wee should not onely loue by supplying their wants in the expēce of our goods, as before we haue shewed, but also loue, by [Page] laying downe our liues for them, by the expence of our bloud, if néede so require: as our Apostle by this example of our blessed Sauiour teacheth vs, saying: here in is loue, that hee laide downe his life for vs: wee ought therefore to laye downe our liues for the brethren. 1. Ioh. 3.16.

There remayneth in this clause, yet one worde that further amplifyeth this loue of God in the greatnes thereof vn­to vs: For besides that, it hath pleased him to make vs, euen vs that were his enemies to be his sonnes, to be his heires and ioynt heires with his owne natural sonne: of such an inheritance, that is im­mortall, and that of his méere loue by gift, not deserued by vs, but purchased for vs, by the pretious death and passion of our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus, he vouchsafeth for y ^e further assu­rance of our faith herein, & cōfort of our soules to cal himself our father, for adop­ting vs in his welbeloued Son, Eph. 1.7 as his wel­beloued Son by nature, is not ashamed (as the authour of the Epistle to y ^e He­brews wel obserueth to cal vs, euen vs, y ^t [Page] were adopted (from a thing of naught) his brethrē: saying, Hebr. 2, 16. I wil declare thy name vnto my brethren: so God his Father, the Father by excellencie, disdaineth not to cal himselfe our Father, saying: 2. Cor. 6.18 I wil bee your Father, and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters. The worde Father is a swéet worde, and serueth to be obserued for many vses. First, it confirmeth al the former doctrine of GOD his louing vs fréely: for as the childe receiueth nothing but from his Father, and his Father be­stoweth all things vpon him fréely, in regard onely, that he is his Father, the childe deseruing not the least iotte of his loue: So God being our Father, it fol­loweth that we receiue all from him, our being, our lyuing, our mouing, Act, 17, 28 benefites Temporall, blessings Spirituall, & that of his owne méere loue, because he is our Father without any desert or merit of ours.

Secondly it expresseth more sensibly the tender mercie and compassion of our good God vnto vs: for thereby wee vn­derstand that he tendreth vs as a Fa­ther according to that of the Prophet: [Page] Like as a father pittieth his owne chil­dren, Psal, 103, 13 euen so the Lord hath compassion on them that feare him. Fatherly and Motherlie loue, we know to bee verie great, and none know it, but they which are veri Patres, Fathers indéede, their bowels are mooued with more than an ordinarie affection toward their childrē, as appeareth by the example of the har­lot, whose compassion was kindled to­ward her childe, whē she heard sentence giuen, 1, King, 3.26 and the sword drawen to haue it diuided: God in like maner testifyeth. Hos. 8.11. that his hart is turned in him, & that his repentance is rouled together, euen as a fathers doth: whē he taketh in hand to punish his childe, he will beate him, and he will not beate him, loath he is, and therefore though he doeth it, hee doeth it vnwillingly, so doeth also our heauenly Father, he doth not punish vs with his heart, saieth Ieremie in his La­mentations: Lamen. 3, 33 but besides this, his com­passion farre excelleth, in that not onely it reacheth further than is possible for a­ny naturall affection to reach vnto: but also for that it is immutable, it neuer [Page] changeth. A mother may forget the fruit of her wombe: A Father may turne a­way his face from his owne sonne, and renownce him for euer. But though a woman should forget the fruite of her wombe, yet would not forget thee, Esa, 49.15, saith the Lord, for I am the Lord and am not chāged: Therfore the Apostle saieth: Rom, 11.2 His gifts and callings are without repentance: And the Euangelist sayeth, Iohn 13.1. Whome hee loueth, hee loueth vnto the ende.

And right Honorable and beloued, there is not a greater comfort vnto our soules and consciences, in this our pre­sent heauinesse and distresse, than this: to consider that hee is our Father that doeth thus correct vs, who though he be iustlie displeased with vs, and his wrath fore kindled against vs for our sinnes: yet herein he sheweth himselfe to be in­finitely gratious and mercifull vnto vs, in that hee hath taken the rod into his owne hand, & not deliuered it into their handes that hate vs, to strike vs there­with.

The Spaniards hath often hoped to [Page] haue got this rod into their hands, and haue as it were snatched, to haue pulled it vnto them, that they might haue bene Gods executioners. A bloudie day had that bene (beloued) for the corps, whom you haue séene, honorably and reuerent­ly in peace caried to their graues, you should haue séene them lying waltering in their bloud: in the middest of the stréets, torne with their Wyer whips, dis-membred with their long Kniues: thrust thorow with their sharpe swords, and no man to haue buried them. Male­contents among our selues, as Papists and Athests had hoped to haue got this rod into their handes: and as by often Treasons, against our late blessed So­ueraigne, so by stronge conspiracies a­gainst our now most gracious and vn­doubted King, whom God for euer kepe, from out of their handes, they haue at­tempted it.

A day of horrour and confusion, a blacke and dismall day beloued, would that haue bene, for then, whereas now you kéepe your seates of honour (and for euer may you kéepe them) and euerie [Page] man possesseth his house and home in peace, and each neighbour ready to com­fort his neighbour, and all may come with safetie to this place, and to other places of Gods worship to make their supplications before him: then, I saye, ye should haue séene that verefied which is in the Prophecie of Esay: Esay 3.5 Nothing but oppression and violence: Children presu­ming against the ancient, and the vile a­gainst the honorable: Ephraim against Manasses, and Manasses against Ephraim, Esay 9.21 and both against Iudah. The Papist a­gainst the Athest, & the Athest against the Papist, & both against the true Pro­fessour. You should haue séene then, your houses ransacked, your wiues and your daughters dishonoured, your swéete chil­dren and babes, horriblie murthered, and euery mans sworde imbrued in the bloud of his neighbour. Blesse we there­fore God, and for euer blesse wee him, who hath not giuen vs as a praye vnto our enemies handes, but brought vpon their owne pates, the destruction & mis­chiefe they deuised for others. Himselfe reseruing the rod of our correction into [Page] his owne hand. And besides, which also magnifyeth his loue excéedingly, taking y ^e rod to beate vs with, which is a more gentle and fauorable rod, 2. Sa, 24, 14, than the rest, as appeareth by the choice of King Da­uid, who chose rather to fall into the hands of God, then of man, who chose rather the Pestilence, then hunger. What wofull miserie the sworde of the enemie would haue brought, you haue heard: And I pray God, by experience, we may neuer know. What calamitie, famine and hunger causeth, you may easely consider, when as it forceth to su­staine nature by vnnaturall foode, and the mother to féede vpon her yong babe. 1. King. 6.25. Examples there are in this behalfe most lamentable, which I omit: In this dis­ease wherewith the Lorde hath visited vs, there is either a spéedie death and dissolution, or a spéedie recouerie (for the most part) without languishing in long torment and paine, and much comforte séene in the quiet and milde yéelding vp of their spirits to God, whom hee mar­keth and taketh to himselfe.

Againe, the Lord like a pittifull Fa­ther [Page] (for how shall I make an ende to speake of his mercie that is endlesse) vp­pon the onely promise of amendment, haue slacked his hand, Exod, 34, 6, 7 to shewe and to manifest vnto vs, that he is full of mer­cie and aboundant in compassion, and that if we will truly humble our selues, he hath done, and his wrath is past. As therefore yee haue begone, so continue your holie exercises of Preaching, of Prayer, & of Fasting: & that it may not be formall only and hypocritical, which the Lorde reprooueth so much in the Iewes. Is this the fast that I haue chosen, Esa, 58.5, 6, 7 that a man afflict his soule for a day, and hang downe his head like a Bull-rush? Re­mēber y ^t the substance of true fasting, is to loose the bands of wickednesse, to let the oppressed goe free, to take off the hea­uie burthen, and to breake euery yoke, To deale the bread to the hungrie, to bring the poore that wandreth into thy house: to couer the naked: and to doe such other workes of mercie. And that which shall best please the Lord (right honorable) is, if by the sworde of your authoritie, yee shall represse the insolencie of them, who [Page] not regarding the heauie hand of God, continue in their blasphemie in the pro­fanation of the Sabaoth, in their drun­kennes, and in such other detestable sinnes, who say with the Epicure: Let vs eate, let vs drink, for to morrow we shal die: who make a pray & a spoyle to thēselues in this heauy time of sicknes, by imbea­zeling of the goods of thē that be diseased & deceased, by defrauding of y ^e widow, by defeating of the Orphanes, by robbing of the naturall kindred of their right. If such complaints come before you (right Honorable) as I feare mee, many will: deferre not to do iustice: for if you do, the Lord will sée it, and reuenge it: but if yee execute the iudgement of the Widow, and of the fatherlesse: If you defende him that is oppressed, from the hande of him that oppresseth him: If you main­taine the right, and punish the wrong: Then you shall sée that God, who hath thus gratiously begunne, will euery day more and more slacke his hand, vntill he hath remooued this euill disease from you: then you shall sée that hee who hath wounded you will heale you, then you [Page] shall sée that he who hath in his anger for a moment visited you, will in euerla­sting compassion embrace you, that you may sée this your Citie againe peopled, by the ioyfull returne of your fellow ci­tizens, that are here and there dispersed: that you may sée those seats, which are by you emptie, with the Honorable & graue Iudges of the Lande, & with your wor­shipfull brethren replenished: that you may sée your trades and traffiquing which is now dead, to be renewed: that you may sée your Tearmes and Sessi­ons of Lawe, no more omitted: that to conclude, you may sée health and prospe­ritie againe within your walles, & that you may heare the voice of the bride­grome, and of the bride, and the noyse of mirth and reioysing, more than in the daies of good Quéene Elizabeth.

Now it remaineth, that hauing thus farre forth discoursed of that high digni­tie and preferment, whereunto we are aduanced, in being made the Sonnes of God, and heires of God, & ioynt-heires with Iesus Christ, the onely begotten and naturall Sonne of the Father of [Page] such a celestiall and glorious kingdome, and hauing considered the original from whence so great mercy floweth vnto vs, which our Apostle sheweth to bee the méere loue of God, which loue appeareth to be loue out of measure, Because hee hath bestowed it vpon vs that were his enemies, Because he hath gratis and frée­ly without our desert giuen it vnto vs, Because he hath giuen his only Sonne to death, to answere his iustice for vs, Because he vouchsafeth to be called our Father, and more then our Father pit­tieth vs, Correcting vs with his more gentle, and not with his sharpest rod, & repenting of the punishment before we repent vs of our sinnes: It remaineth, I say, that wee procéede to the answere of the first obiection, which here ensueth: For this cause the worlde knoweth you not, because it knoweth not him. But for that the time is spent: I must leaue the consideration thereof, vnto your godly & priuate Meditations, which I may the more safelie doe, hauing in such sort con­formed this holie and comfortable do­ctrine vnto you, as that all the obiections [Page] of man or Deuill, shall neuer be able to preuaile against it.

And now, thou O Lord our God, which hast in this wise so excéedingly magni­fied thy mercies vnto vs, in calling vs to be thy children: and hast not for al our rebellions against thée, cast vs off and vtterlie reiected vs, but chastized vs in great mercie for our sinnes, and correc­ted vs for our transgressions; we beséech thée to sanctifie this thy fatherly punish­ing hande vnto vs, that wee may make right vse thereof in louing thée for thy mercie, and fearing thée for thy iustice: That for the time of our life that remay­neth, we may more religiously and more holily walke before thee in all godlinesse of life and conuersation. And to this end we praye thee to giue a blessing to the ministerie, and Preaching of thy holy worde at this time: that gratiously par­doning, & passing by whatsoeuer weak­nesse and infirmities haue bene com­mitted in the speaking & hearing here­of, thou wouldest please to make it effec­tuall vnto vs, for the glorifying of thy name, for the edifying of our selues in [Page] faith, for the humbling of our soules by repentāce, for the reforming of our liues from all vngodlinesse, and so finally for the turning away of this thy feareful Plague and punishment, and for the purchasing of thy wonted fauours, and blessings onto vs, and that for Iesus Christes sake our onely mediator and aduocate. To whome with thee and the holy Ghost three Persons one true euer­liuing and euerlasting God, be rendred all praise, power, Dominion and thanksgiuing both now and for euer, Amen.