THE proeme of Moralitie, holds good in Diuinitie, [...], &c. Aristot. Eth. l. 1. c. 1. omne appetit bonum, and it is a sure axiome: Finis & bonum conuertun­tur, that vaste Vniuersall, like that confused Chaos in the begin­ning, Gen. 1.2.out of whose wombe were first drawn all things which were made; each particular, with the whole it selfe, ( [...]) do endeuour their end, as the smoake flieth vpward; which truth is well seene in the great bodie of nature, [...] and the little bo­die of man, which is a compendium of all this All. And hath not mortall man his supernaturall end, where his soule, a stranger here, may stay it selfe for euer? Yes sure he hath, and the end is the accomplishment of Gods pro­mises; for by faith we stand, and receiue in hope: 1. Ioh. 3.2. Now are [Page 2]we the sonnes of God, but it doth not appeare what we shall be, &c. The Apostle therefore in the precedent Chapter ha­uing earnestly warned his Corinthians to flee the socie­tie and pollutions of Idolaters, as being themselues tem­ples of the holy Ghost; in the two last verses, he setteth downe the scope and summe of mans blissefull end, the full period of all their desites, euen the sweete and com­fortable promises of God in Christ Iesus, as namely ver. 16. I will dwell in them, Leuit. [...].12. and walke in them: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And againe ver. 17, & 18. I will re­ceiue you, Isa 32.1. Ier. 31.1. and wil be a father vnto you, and you shall be my sonnes and daughters, saith the Lord Almightie. Now vpon the consideration of these premised promises promises, he inferreth and inforceth that sanctitie whereof my text doth treate: See­ing we haue these promises (dearely beloued) let vs cleanse, &c. Which words containe in them an exhortation, not barely and simply propounded, but syllogistically and perswa­siuely inforced, and may very well be called A diuine En­thymeme of true obedience. The Antecedent part whereof is the Foundation, and the consequence is the Building; or if you will, the roote and growth of godlinesse. The Apo­stle thus layeth the case: Seeing we haue these promises, dear­ly beloued; and makes the issue this, Let vs cleanse our selues from, &c. Let vs begin as he doth, that we may end as he did. He begins his suite vpon a sure ground, Seeing we haue these promises; and followes the cause for our welfare, Let vs cleanse our selues from, &c.] Thus who so begins and ends his dayes, shall die the death of the righteous, and his last end shall be like vnto his.

Turne backe your eyes once more vpon the words, and you shall find in them a grounded motiue to holinesse: in which obserue the matter, the maner, and both are Euan­gelical. 1. Modus compellendi (dearly beloued) vox verè aposto­lica, issuing from no other lips but such as had bin touched from the Altar of the high God with the hote burning coales of zeale and loue, Isa. 6.6. and well beseeming the scholler [Page 3]of such a Lord, who both in life and death did shew him­selfe to be the Lord of loue. 2. Causa vel fundamentum competendi, viz. promissiones. In which maine ground of his inforcement, he makes vs ioynt purchasers with himselfe, viz. Nos habemus: and that of an inheritance which shall stand for euer, viz. has promissiones. Promissiones: that is the maine thing. Obiectum, Obiectum. the ground point of this exhorta­tion: and that we may build vpon this ground, he shew­eth our interest and iust claime, and that is Subiectum. Subiectum. Nos habemus: We haue these promises: and that is the Antece­dent, the ground, the reason, the roote of that which fol­lowes; and that which followes is an exhortation to sin­ceritie and sound obedience, to integritie and perfect ho­linesse. To the perfection whereof there are two maine labours, 1. Remotio mali: Remotio mali. Let vs cleanse our selues. 2. Substi­tutio boni: Substitutio boni. and grow vp, &c. For the former, that we may take our worke with vs, let vs remember the passages: 1 1. Let vs cleanse, that is the propertie of the worke. 2 2. Our selues, that is the proprietie of the person. 3 3. From filthi­nesse, that is the matter to be wrought vpon. 4 4. All filthi­nesse, there is the generalitie of the taske. 5 5. Of the flesh and spirit, there is the specialitie of the parts and powers in­fected.

Hitherto my text hath brought vs downeward, the way and path of the death of the righteous; Mortificatio. wherein we must crucifie the old man, not leaue one hoofe behind, not one sinne vnsearched. Mortifie therefore your earthly members, &c. Colos. 3.5. The Apostle tels vs, that he which ascended, is he which descended first; Ephes. 4.9. and as I haue de­scended with you to the similitude of his death, so must you be ingrafted to the similitude of his resurrection. Rom. 6.5. For you must rise againe the hill of holinesse; when we are rooted in humilitie, we must rise and spring: Substitutio boni. so the text faith, 1 Let vs grow vp: yea and flourish in the courts of our God, 2 to full holinesse: & that we may stand fast in this estate, we must take the staffe of Gods feare to prop vs vp, 3 in the [Page 4]feare of God. Reu. 20.6. And this is rising to life, viuification: and blessed are they which haue part in this first resurrection.

And thus hauing seene a short view of all, the words containe in them two generall parts: 1. The antecedent or reason premised: 2. The consequent or conclusiō inferred.

The antecedent in these words, Seeing we haue these promi­ses, dearly beloued. The conclusion in these, Let vs cleanse our selues from all filt hinesse of the flesh, &c.

And first of the former, and then of the latter; where with transposition of the words, without alteration of the sense, giue me leaue to salute your patience in the Apo­stles order, Dearely beloued.

Dearely beloued:] Modus com­pellendi. Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur: in na­ture and in Scripture you know it to be true, and here ex­ample and experience makes it good in both: the Apostle, such is the abundance of his loue, that his tongue cannot containe, but expresse the feruent desire of his heart, in that he calleth his people, Dearly beloued. If you turne but your thoughts to that which he faith to his Philippiās, 1.8. you shall find him like the Spouse, euen sicke of loue to­ward them: God is my record (faith he) how greatly I long af­ter you all in the bowels of Christ Iesus, &c. Had the Apostle either receiued or expected benefite for his loue, it had bene lex talionis; Ioh. 6.26. as the multitude loued Christ for the loaues; and hypocrites do euen the same; but for Paul to loue his Maisters flocke for their good, on his part gra­tis, and that in the absence of his Maister, this loue is great, Act. 9.15. and worthy of Paul, whom Christ loued, and chose him to be the Apostle of the Gentiles. This Paul, this pat­terne of loue must not be put vnder a bushell, bur set on a candlesticke, to giue light to all: for, this fatherly affecti­on is one chiefe point of the Pastorall office. Saint Peter for the example of all others, Doct. 1. is bound vpon the allegiance of his loue to feed the flocke, Ioh. 21. to seed them (I say) as a good shepheard with a watchfull and fatherly care and affection. Saint Iohn, if you reade his writings, you shall [Page 5]find them dulcicora melliceta, full as the Moone, and no­thing but full and plentifull drops of loue, sweeter then the honey and the honey combe, calling them children, 1. Ioh. 2. little children, babes, little babes, beloued, and dearely beloued. Moses complaineth of the yoke and burden which loue laid vpon him by consequence of his place: for so you shal reade Numb. 11.11. Wherefore haft thou afflicted thy seruant, and wherefore haue I not found fauour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people vpon me? haue I conceiued all this people? haue I begotten them, that thou shouldest say vnto me, Carrie them in thy bosome, as a nurse beareth her sucking child. By which we may see, that teachers are pascendo pa­stores, sed diligendo patres; pastors for instruction, but fa­thers for affection. For howsoeuer we must sometime come like the watchmen in the Canticles, qui non vult duci, debet trahi; yet this seueritie must be paterna, non tyrannica; Dum das verbera, ostende vbera, faith Bernard: Bern. this gall must be mingled with honey, this bitter water must come out of a sweete fountaine; this sharpe reprehension from a lo­uing affection, it must be in spiritu mansuetudinis, Galat. 6.1. Brethren, if a man be fallen by occasion of infirmitie, ye that are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse. And in a word, as our voices must be the voice of Iohn Baptist, to crie vnto them: so our hearts must be the hearts of Paul the Apostle to loue them, for you are vnto vs dearely belo­ued. And are you so to vs, our dearely beloued? Vse. Then so ought we to be vnto you your dearely beloued, for if our hearts must be liuely fountaines running full streames of loue towards you, yours must not be drie cisternes of lead to wards vs againe: for Amor amoris mag­nes, & durus est qui amorem nonrependit: Loue is the load­stone of loue; and for the children not to loue their fa­thers, it is the highest pitch of ingratitude, a finne against nature, and such as is not to be named. 1. Thess. 5.12. 1. Cor. 16.11. Gal 6.6. It is the Apostles rule, that you should know, and that after a speciall maner, those which labour amongst you in the Lord, and haue them in [Page 6]singular respect for their workes sake. Surely (brethren) I must speake a little what I both heare and see to your iust com­mendation. It would be a notable incitement and prouo­cation to all Gods messengers abroad in the land, to labor diligently and conscionably in their callings, if their pains were but requited with such loue and respect as is in this Citie; if the wels of charitie which should water the Eden of God, were vnstopped, and made to flow towards them in other places abroad, as they do here amongst you. That which Saba said of Solomons 1. King. 10.8. seruants, may well be applied to the Ministerie of this Citie: Happie are the men, and hap­pie are those thy seruants which stand euer before thee, and heare thy wisedome: so happie are those Ministers, happie are those seruants of God, which stand and speake in your presence, which waite and minister at your altars. But alas, we that are criers in the wildernesse, find other measure farre vn­suting our labour of loue. If we did raine downe euery day golden Angels into their laps, they would crie with him, Ille mihi semper erit Deus, illius Aram: hugge vs, nay adore vs, make gods of vs, bring buls drest with garlands to sacrifice vnto vs: but showring downe that which is more precious then gold, and whose price is farre aboue pearles, the precious comforts of the Gospell, the meanes of their eternall saluation; they are senslesse of the good we do them. O what good bloud would it breed in vs, if as some other of your sweet ointments, good examples, I meane; so this of loue and kindnesse to them that teach you the way to heauen, might runne from the head to the skirts of the garment, the vtmost coasts and corners of the land. To conclude this point, you that are called and en­tred into the place of nursing fathers, and you that receiue the sincere milke of the word, that your soules may grow thereby, let me exhort you in the bowels of Christ Iesus, to lend all your helping hands and consenting hearts, that as you haue begun, so you may make perfect this holy combination of Paul and his dearely beloued. Concordia cre­scunt [Page 7]minutissima, discordia vel maxima dilabuntur. Surely brethren, the Pastor and the people are an holy temple, wherein the Lord hath a delight to dwell, whose delight hath euer bene amongst the sonnes of men: if then we wil be liuing stones of that holy building, it behoueth that we be louing stones, ioyned together in the vnitie of the Spi­rit. Our life is but as a iourney to a farre more excellente. state of glorie in the kingdome of heauen, and the way thereto is but one for both, and Saint Iames calleth it, the Kings high way of charitie, the royall law of loue. Via regia. lam. 2.8. If there­fore the Pastor and people be Antipodes in their wayes, if they walke in opposition, and harbour an antipathie of affections, and thus thinke to come to Christ, they may walke from pole to pole, but shall neuer attaine their end. The good shepheard therefore is said to go before his sheepe, and the good sheepe are said to follow him, Ioh. 10.3. And let vs follow the counsell of a good Pastor to this purpose, Vbicertus es de via perge mecum, vbi haeres quaere mecum: if we be both in the old and good way, Ier. 6.16. let vs ac­companie and cheare one another; but if we be wrong, let vs enquire, and guide each other. Let vs helpe to beare one anothers burdens, and supply each others wants. Let the one minister spirituall, the other carnall things. You must giue panem promptuary, and we sanctuary. We must receiue bread and sufficiencie for our liues, otherwise can we not giue the bread of life. The one must be helpfull with the sweate of the browes, and the other with the sweate and trauell of the braines. These things do, and the God of peace shall be with vs, God euen our God shall giue vs his blessing: God shall blesse vs, Psal. 67.6. and all the ends of the earth shall feare him. And so from the maner, passe we to the matter.

The matter in the whole and summe, is an exhortation to holinesse; but considered in parts and due order, Fundamentû competendi. we ob­serued the antecedent reason, and consequent issue. The antecedent comes now in hand, and offers it selfe vnder [Page 8]these words, Seeing we haue these promises. Let me pro­pound it vnto you as a proposition, wherein obserue, 1. Subiectum, viz. nos [We]. 2. Praedicatum, viz. promissiones [promises]: and [has habemus,] is the copula which ioynes them together.

Subiectum doth challenge the first place, for it is the first word. 1. Subiectum

We] And the parties here aimed at, are apparent, Paul and his people, the Apostle and the Corinthians; the one a chosen vessell, Act. 9. of a persecuter made a Preacher of the name of Christ; the other were members of the Church of God in Corinth, 2. Cor. 1.1. 2. Cor. 1.2. and of the Saints that dwelt in Achaia, those that could call God their Father, and Christ Iesus their Lord; Paul and the Corinthians, beleeuers, these are that (We) the subiect of this present purpose.

All the comfortable promises in Christ Iesus belong onely to the faithfull. Doctr. So my text tels you in effect. [We] viz. the faithfull haue these promises. Saint Paul elsewhere makes the point more plaine, 1. Corin. 3.22. Whether ye be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, (or what teacher soeuer may more properly challenge you) or life, or death, whether things present, or things to come, all are yours, (but not for them, nor yet for your selues, but rather for this) ye are Christs, Heb. 11. and Christ is Gods. Abraham beleeued God a­boue hope, and is therefore called the father of the faith­full; and God makes his couenant with him, and with his seed for euer, Genes. 17.7,8. For to the faithfull he is rich in mercie: Exod. 20.6. he shewes mercie vnto thousands in them that beleeue in him, and loue him, &c. God made his couenant with Israel by name, but it was onely with the Israel that is of God, Rom. 9.6. viz. the faithfull. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel; but this know, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abrahā, Gal. 3.7. And if you be Christs, Gal. 3.29. then are ye of faith, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heires according to the promise. So then, they which be of faith, are blessed with faithfull Abraham; these haue the [Page 9]promises. Gal. 3.9.

The promises of Christ belong to the faithfull onely. Reasons.

1 1. Because they onely haue the earnest of the promises: Gal. 4.5. the adoption of sonnes, whereby they crie, Abba, Father, viz. the inward testimonie of the Spirit fealing to their spirits the ocrtaintie and assurance of their adoption and saluation in Christ Iesus, Rom. 8.16.

2 2. Because their names onely are written in heauen, they are the inrolled citizens, who onely by right of proprie­tie and inheritance, haue true right, interest and comfort of all the sweet promises of God, either for this life or for a better; Reioyce in this therefore, that your names are written in heauen. Luk. 10.19.

3 3. Because to them onely pertaine the couenants, as may appeare by the promulgation. viz. the word; Rom. 9.4. by the confirmation, viz. the Sacraments and the oath of assu­rance; these onely belong to the faithfull, I meane in their vertue and comfortable ends. For the word, it is to them onely the sweet sauour of life vnto life, and to others it is otherwise, 2. Cor. 2.16. In the Sacrament, Impy edunt cor­pus Domini, sed non corpus Dominum; in the faithfull it hath his comfortable fruite, but in vnbeleeuers it is a step to their condemnation, 1. Cor. 11.29. And for the oath of as­surance, the Apostle precisely nameth the heires of promise: For God willing more abundant to shew vnto the beires of pro­mise, the stablenesse of his couenant, hath bound himselfe by an oath, &c. Hebr. 6.17.

4 4. Because that Christ is our Redemption. yea our San­ctification, 1. Cor. 1.30. Our Redemption through faith, in whose bloud we are reconciled to God, Ephes. 5. Rom. 8.31. Rom. 5.8. Rom. 8.1. and of enemies are made heires, Rom. 3.24. And our Sanctification also, in whom all the comfortable promises are sanctified to vs, and through whom all our endeuours are sanctified and accepted of God.

Vse. 1 Do the promises belong to the faithfull onely? then 1. Hence learne the freedome and libertie of Gods Saints, [Page 10]that they shall not be condemned with the world, Rom. 8.1. For Now (saith the Apostle, as speaking of the vertue of these sweet promises) there is no condēnation to thē which liue godly in Christ Iesus, &c. for Christ hath set thē free, frō sin. Reu 21.4. Satan, death, hel, and condemnatiō: but as for the wic­ked, it is otherwise, for in them sin reigneth in their mortal bodies, the law condemneth, the conscience gnaweth, and accuseth, death executeth, the diuel rageth, and hell tor­menteth, Luk. 11.26.& their latter end is worse then their beginning.

2 2. Then are they not onely free from the curse, but also assured of the blessing: and this is that which seasons the bitternesse of all sorrowes, though they were more bitter then the waters of Marrah, Numb. 33.8. Exod. 15.23. 2. Cor. 4.17. Augustine. euen the promised eternall and farre more excellent weight of glorie, where (as Augustine speaketh) we shall haue laetitiane sine tristitia, sine dolore lo­cum, sine labore vitam, viz. mirth without moane, place without paine, life without labour, light without dark­nesse, where shall be no howling heard, nor sorrow knowne, but possession of euerlasting ioyes, summam & certam tranquilitatem, great tranquilitie, tranquill felicity, happie eternitie, eternall blessednesse in the presence of the God of glorie, with whom is stabilitie and sacietie of cuerlasting life and happinesse, without danger of failing or falling, deceasing or decreasing for euermore.

3 3. If theirs be the promises, then haue we assurance of the blessings of this life also: Godlinesse is profit able vnto all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4.8. So that whatsoeuer we do (if we be within the couenant of promise) either concerning our bodies or soules, our life present or our life to come, Gods blessing shall be with vs. And therefore, saith Mo­ses, Deut. 28.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God, and obserue and do all his commandements, blessed shalt thou be in the citie, and blessed in the field, blessed shalt thou be in the fruite of thy bodie, and in the fruite of thy ground, the fruite of thy cattell, the increase of thy kine, and the [Page 11]flockes of thy sheepe: blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out: the Lord shall blesse thee in (all) that thou settest thy hand to do, the labours of thy hands, the workes of thy calling, yea and the medita­tions of thy heart. For, faith Dauid, Psal. 1.4. Looke (whatsoeuer) he doth, it shall prosper. So that we may with boldnesse send forth our prayers, the messengers of our wants, vnto the high Court of heauen, yea and be assured that they shall be sent back againe like the brethren of Ioseph, laden with the blessings of God. And why? we haue Gods promise, that he will giue to them that aske, and open the gate to them that knocke: this our Sauiour affirmeth, Verily, veri­ly I say vnto you, whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name, it shall be giuen vnto you: aske and ye shall receiue, that your ioy may be full. So that of all other comforts that can befall vs in this life, this is the greatest, which cannot be taken from vs, that he will heare our prayers: and though our soules and consciences be troubled with cares, and the burthen of our sinnes, yet he hath promised to case them. For so saith our Sauiour, Come vnto me all ye that labour, and are heauie laden with the burden of your sinnes, and I will ease you. And though our mouthes should be stopped, yet well may we lift vp our soules to the Lord, from whence commeth our helpe. Labour therefore to be in Christ, and he shall set thee as the seale vpon his hand, and the signet on his right arme: For the eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous, Psal. 33.18.19 and his eares are open vnto their crie.

4 4. If the faithfull onely haue the promises, then for the terrour of the wicked, for they shall haue no part in these promises, but shall be cast out from the presence of God, as Hagar and her sonne were cast out of the house of A­braham, Gal. 4.30. Put out the seruant and her sonne, for the sonne of the seruant shall not be heire with the free woman. Yea, and they shall not onely be depriued of the promise both of this life and of a better, but shall suffer the curse of God both of this life and of that which is to come. The wicked [Page 12]Shall be turned into hell, and all those that for get God: and, God shall destroy the wicked for euer. And for this life, Iob spea­keth, Their portion shall be accursed on earth. Iob 24. 18 And God spea­keth, Deut. 28.16. If thou shalt not obey and keepe all these my cōmandements, all these curses shall come vpon thee: cursed shalt thou be in the towne, and cursed shalt thou be in the field, cursed shall be thy basket and thy dough, the fruite of thy land, the in­crease of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheepe: cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. Dcut. 28, 20. The Lordshall send cursing, trouble and shame in (all) that thou settest thy hand to do. So that if thou be not in this co­uenant or promise of blessing, nothing shall be sanctified from God, or accepted to God; he will send cursing, trou­ble and shame in (all) thou settest thy hand to do. Suppose thou performe the worke of charitie, and giue almes; al­though it may be good to them that receiue it, yet it is a sinne in himselfe: For whatsoeuer is done without faith, is sinne. Yea all thy goods gotten, though gotten by the sweate of thy browes and the labour of thy calling, yet Gods curse remaining vpon them, they are put in a bottomlesse bag. For to the pure, all things are pure, but to the impure, is nothing pure. This then is the estate of a wicked man: cursed in life, cursed in death, but most cursed after death, when the curse of God shall torture and torment bodie and soule for euer.

5 5. Hence learne the estate of the faithfull to be the best, and the calling of a Christian to be most honorable. Put case in the most prosperous of the wicked, such a one as the Prophet speaketh of, which neuer had knot to his death, the web of whose life hath bene altogether with­out trouble or molestation, and let him be compared with a seruant of Christ, which hath drunke deepe of the cuppe of sorrowes, and in conclusion you shall finde the end of this man to be better and more glorious then his. If Alex­ander be not the sonne of Iupiter, his siluer is but drosse, his confession shall be to his owne confusion: Iam video [Page 13]me esse mortalem; but a true Christian is the most honorable calling: of the houshold of faith, Gal. 4.26. Gal. 4.5. Eph. 2.19. 1 Cor. 6.3. of the stocke and linage of Ierusalem aboue, by adoption they are sonnes, Saints by calling, kings by deputation, for the Saints shall iudge the Angels, yea and reigne in the heauenly state of glory for euer. Who so saw it might see great difference twixt Di­ues and Lazarus while they liued; and who so hath not seene it shall see greater distance twixt them now, Luk. 16.19.20 the one being in Abrahams bosome, the other in hell torments: where he which formerly knew not his God nor himselfe. nor would daigne to know poore Lazarus, this man which once had a world at will, would now giue a world if he had it, for one drop of cold water to coole his tong, to teach vs that there is great differēce twixt the rich mans non mouebor, &c. & their downfall, imply descendunt in infer­num. Psal. 30.6. Iob. 21.13.O how suddenly do they vanish, perish, and come to a fearefull end! but as for Gods Saints be they despicable in the eies of men, yet their prayers and teares are written in the booke of Gods remembrance, Esa. 38.5. and right deare and precious in the sight of God, is the death of all his Saints. Psal. 116.15.

6 6. Seeing these promises for this life and a better life re­dound to vs, & to vs only: then hence let vs learne to take comfort in these promises, in all things, whatsoeuer our dangers and distresses are; for God euen our God, is Pater omnipotens, both able and willing for to do vs good. Art thou then in affliction? know that there is no darknesse but flieth from the Sunne, no poyson but yeeldeth to me­dicine, no winter but is remoued by Sommer; for if God doth suffer calamity to befall vs for his glory and our good, he will take it away againe. Psal. 34.19. For many are the trou­bles of the righteous; but here is the Lords promise which is our comfort, he will deliuer out of all: we haue this pro­mise, which is as the faithfull witnesse in heauen for our comfort.

7 7. Seeing the faithfull onely haue these promises; then ought we to labour for a true faith, for this is the instru­ment [Page 14]of our redemption, the fruite of the Spirit, the clo­thing of our soules, the ioy of the godly, the perfection of the Church, the euidence by which we hold both our Being, Mark. 9.24. and well being; Lord we beleeue, helpe our vnbeleefe.

8 8. Lastly, hath God giuen vs these promises? Let vs then learne to giue vnto God that which is Gods, viz. thankes and praise, For he that offereth me thankes and praise, heho­noureth me, Psal. 50.23. Surely (brethren) there is not the least of his mercies but deserues a Quid retribuam. Psal. 116.12. Psal. 8.4. And What is man that thou, art so mindfull of him, or the sonne of man that thou sor egardest him? &c. What is to be found in man which might moue the Lord to be so gracious, or to be expected from man which may adde vnto his honour, to whose complete and all-sufficient fulnesse, nothing can be added? Surely this is some and all; Thou shalt glorifie me, Psal. 50.14. to sing and say, Corde, & cordis fide, & fidibus; Glory be to God on high, on earth peace, goodwill towards men. Luk. 2.14.Our hearts shall be glad when our lips speake his glorie, and our tongues, shall sing of his righteousnesse, while we liue will we praise the Lord, and giue thankes vn­to him for a remembrance of his holinesse; for to vs hath he giuen these promises, and therefore Regi saeculo­rum. 1. Tim. 1. 17. Now, saith the Apostle; Now is a time to lift vp your hearts and say as he saith: To the King eternall, immortall, inuisible, and God onely wise, be honour and glory for euer and euer, Amen. And of the subiectum thus far, and now the Praedicatum cometh in place, viz. these pro­mises.

Promises,] Promissiones 1. Politicae. Promises I finde to be generally of two sorts; politicall or ciuill, and religious or diuine: vnder the former are ranked all contracts, compacts, bargaines, and other cases of commutatiue iustice in the Common­wealth betwixt man and man. 2. Religiosae. Legales. Euangelicae. Religious promises I name such as wherein God doth more properly challenge a share, as being either the inlargemēts of the bounty from God to man, or the ingagement of obedience from man [Page 15]to God: and these I find to be double, Legall or Euange­licall,

1. Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10. Legall, ex pacto simpliciter; hoc fac & viues, and againe, Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law.

2. Euangelicall, ex pacto secundum quid; being the free donations of Gods soueraigne bounty which worketh all good in all: Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are heauie, Haba. 2.4. Mat. 11.28. Ioh. 3.16. Isa. 43.25. &c. So God loued the world that he, &c. I am he, behold I am he that putteth away thy vnrighteousnesse euen for my names sake, Isa. 43.25. These are called the promises of Gods grace, be­cause freely giuen, and so performed gratis: the promises of the Spirit, Eph. 1.13. Rom. 10.8. because the Spirit is both the author and ap­plier of them: the words of faith, because they are made with the condition of faith to apprehend and apply them: they are also the promises of hope, because that our har­uest is in hope onely: Heb. 6.17. The hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised, Tit. 1.2.

God hath made a couenant with his people, and it is called the couenant of promise, Eph. 2.12. the Arke of which testimony is the sure words of the Gospell; the keepers and interpreters whereof are his holy ones, vpon whom he hath put his Vrim and Thummim, Exod. 28.30. to cause Israel to heare and know and do his couenant. The franchised li­berties thereof are his promises: the hedges or walles of defence are his iudgements: the feales of assurance are his counsell, his word, his oath, his Sacraments: the earnest penny is the spirit of sanctification: the stipulators are the Maker and his creature, God and man; God of his free bounty promising all good things for this and a better life, in Christ, for the glory of his goodnesse; and man pro­testing faith and perfect obedience to his heauenly Ma­ker. So that Subiectum huiusfaederis, are the sonnes of God onely, (as I haue shewed before) the sonnes of promise, Gal. 4.28.Rom. 9.8. such as through faith in a pure conscience keepe his commandement alway. This couenant by faith, we ap­ply [Page 16]it, we hold it in hope, and shew forth the fruites there­of in a godly life and holy conuersation. Thus farre we haue walked at large, but now returne I pray you with me from whence we haue digressed, for the bounds of my text do bound me within the liberties of this holy coue­nant; for so my text tels vs: Has promissiones.

Sinne is a bad Mistresse which makes men serue long for little, and in the end paieth with bad wages; For the wages of sinne is death: Rom. 6.23. but our God is liberall as an Empe­rour, who hath bestowed a great gift vpon vs in our crea­tion; and that being lost, hath giuen vs a greater, and pro­mised greatest of all. As a good Physitian he healeth vs, and as a good merchant hireth vs, non vt duram seruiamus seruitutem, but that we should be made coheires with Christ. Has promissiones, these promises also.

God hath promised saluation to his people which haue bene since the world began, from Adam to Abraham, Gen. 3.15. from Abraham to Moses, Gen. 17.4. from Moses to Christ, Luk. 18.5. Luk. 20,27. Gal. 4.4. Exod. 14.10. Heb. 9.15. And in the fulnesse of time God sent our Sauiour according to his promise, Luk. 1. 54. Act. 3.12. and our Sauiour Christ did mightily shew himselfe to be the Sonne of God, and the Redeemer of his people Israel, Luk. 24 19. in whō all the prophecies, promi­ses and figures did meet, as many lines in the center. These promises also. The Apostle doth alledge onely two texts of these promises, which are like the grapes and fruites of Eschol, which the spies brought from the land of Canaan; (as if he should say) By these few you may taste and see how sweete the Lord is; and if I should labour to go through them all, I suppose they are moe in number then the haires of my head, and the plenty of them would beget want of strength in me to deliuer them. Moses the man of God doth giue vs to wit, 1. Promissio­nes rarae. that these promises are first, Rarae & inauditae, worthy his performance onely, who in all things with his holy arme doth get himselfe the victorie. Psal. 98.2.Who would haue thought that a wombe of ninety yeares [Page 17]barrennesse, should be a ioyfull mother of children? God promised it, Gen. 17.17. and he performed it, Gen. 21.6. Who would imagine that God would bring Israel out of Aegypt, thus as it is said, and after so strange a maner, by tentations, by signes, and by wonders, by warre, by a mightie hand, and by a stretched out arme, and by great terrors? according to all that the Lord did for them in Ae­gypt, Deut. 4.34. Who could haue thought that the Red sea should be diuided, or Iordan driuē back? Exod. 14.21. Iosh. 10.12. Exod. 16.13. Num. 20.8. or the Moon should stay her course, and the Sunne forget his going downe? that Manna should be rained from heauen? that liuing waters should flow from the flintie rocke? These things God promised, Exod. 3.19. and these, and greater then these the Lord hath done in their due season: for he is the God who made all things of nothing, which quick­neth the dead, and calleth those things which are not, as though they were, Rom. 4.17.

2. 2. Promissio­nes certissime Mal. 3.6. Most sure and certaine, as proceeding from the eter­nitie and immutabilitie of his will, and verity, with whom is no change, nor shadow of changing. God saith concer­ning him that promiseth by vow or oath, Implebit omne quod promisit, Numb. 30.3. He shall not breake his promise; but do according to all that he hath promised. And shall the Lord say, and not do it? promise, and not performe it? Surely God shall as soone not be himselfe, as his proceedings not be the truth: he were not omnipotent, but impotent, if it were otherwise. Therfore the Apostle doth thus stile him, God that cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. The faithfull God, Deut. 7.8. with whom is no change, his promises are therefore Yea and Amen, 2. Cor. 1.20. certissimae.

3. 3. Promissio­nes gratuitae. Gratuitae, the effects of his mercie and goodnesse, without any merite or desert of ours. Deut. 7.7. He set not his loue vpon you (saith Moses to Israel) nor chose you because you were moe in number then other people, for you were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loued you, &c. And in the riches of his mercie God chose this people first, and [Page 18]his first promise he made to them, Leuit. 26.12. I will walke with you, I will be your God, and you shall be my people: yea and enlargeth the same, Ier. 31.1. I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shal be my people, &c. When Adam sinned against God, God had compassion towards him; yea when he maketh Gods liberalitie the patrone of his iniquitie, saying, The woman which thou gauest me, &c. then did he promise, The seed of the woman should breake the Ser­pents head. Genes. 3.12. These and the like are gratuitae promissiones, with­out any precedent merit of man as a motiue to moue him thereunto, the free donations and enlargements of his goodnesse and bountie.

4. 4. Promissio­nes magnae & pretiosae. Magnae & pretiosae: so Saint Peter teacheth vs to esteem them, 2. Pet. 1.3. For these, that our God will be with vs wheresoeuer we go, ruling and assisting vs in whatsoeuer we do, these are magnae & pretiosae. Oh how sweete are thy promises! Exod. 5.18. Psal. 119. He ruleth vs according to his promise, not as Pharaoh ruled Israel, with a rod of iron, toyling them in their taskes of bricke, allowing no straw; but he commands vs weldoing, and helpes vs to do it; and when our seruice is done of dutie, herein his bountifull dealing passeth our conceiuing, when for a broken seruice on earth, he makes a promise of heauen, not as they are now, subiect to corruption: 2. Pet. 3.10. For the heauens shall passe away with a noise, and the elements shall be consumed with heate; but as they shall be then refined, most glorious and stable, for the comfort and crowning of his Saints; Magnae & pretiosae. So that as a Father saith, The children of God hauing tasted hereof in the life to come, do mourne and grieue in the heauens, that their repentance was no sooner, their thank­fulnesse no more, and their obedience no greater to glo­rifie God on earth: so that as it is said of the glorious Church, Quàm mirabilia de te narrantur, ô Ciuitas Dei: Oh how great and wonderfull things are spoken of thee, O thou Citie of God! such are his promises according to the excellencie of his wisedome and power, Magnae & pretiosae.

And in the fift place, that we may inherite the promises, 5. Promissio­nes futurae.I must informe you, that they are futurae, viz. of things to come, the promises of hope. Our life (saith Paul) is hid with Christ: and it appeares not what we shall be. Peraduen­ture, some will say, better to haue something certaine. But to them I say, our hope is not a dead but a liuely hope: 1. Pet. 1.3. 2. Pet 3.8. not depending vpon man, whose breath is in his nostrils, but vpon our God, with whom one day is as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares as one day. The Apostle saith, God is faithfull: and, We know whom we haue beleeued. If our life therefore be a warfare, our hope is an helmet. Eph. 6. if a sea-faring, hope is our anchor, to stay our ships in dan­ger, Act. 27.33.till the day appeare, Act. 28. And in a word, in all things this is our stay, God is faithfull; he hath promised, and will performe it, but all in his due time; his (I say) and not ours, Psal. 40.1. that we should keepe our soules still waiting on the Lord; therefore they are futurae.

6. 6. Promissio­nes augustis­simae. To comprise many in one, and not to totall all in iust account: in briefe, the promises of God are generall, par­ticular, reall, personall, conditionall, free, temporall, e­ternall, who can go through them all? The Apostle saith, that the Angels looke with amazement at the mysterie of our redemption, to behold the infinite oddes betwixt Gods greatnesse and our vilenesse: so to let passe the great and precious promises of his word and Spirit, the care and ministery of his Angels and creatures; and to consider that our very corrections shall do vs good, Psal. 94.12. that he will turne our beds in our sicknesse, Psal. 41. take care of the haires of our heads, Matth. 10. Matth. 10.30. it will driue vs to a­stonishment to consider; for there is no end of his good­nesse. The heathen Captaine which had care to wash his souldiers wounds, they could not sufficiently honour him with praises: surely if the God of glorie and Captaine of his Church, should do such and so great things for vs, let vs say with Saint Paul, [...]: Rom. 11.33. O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and loue of [Page 20]God, and his wayes that are past finding out!

Thus farre we haue dealt in these promises at rouers (as I may say) and now to bring them home to our hearts, which are the true marke.

Vse. 1 Are these promises rarae & inauditae? Let vs hence learne to ioy in the same; Oh how sweete are thy words vnto my throate, yea sweeter then honey vnto my mouth! Psal. 119.103. And againe, Thy testimonies haue I claimed as mine heritage for euer, for they are the very ioy of my heart, Psal. 119.111. Thus Sara reioyced, and called others to reioyce with her, Gen. 21.6. God hath caused me to reioyce, all that heare will reioyce with me. Luk. 1.46. My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour: this is the song of that blessed euer Virgin mother, who reioyced in these pro­mises.

2 Secondly, are they certissimae? Then let vs beleeue and trust in them, by the example of our father Abraham, who beleeued aboue hope. So though they are aboue, beside, contrary to reason, yet knowing that God is pow­erfull and able, faithfull, and so ready to make his promise good, let vs be strengthened in faith, and giue glorie to God, Rom. 4.17. Yea and in the second place, trust and relie on his promised mercies: for hereby we haue accesse to challenge God both for safetie and saluation. Thus Moses is bold to charge God with his promise, on the behalfe of Israel, Exod. 32.13. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, to whom thou swarest, &c. and it followeth, ver 14. Then the Lord changed his mind from the euill, &c. An in­stance of like nature we haue in Deut. 9.27. Dauid had the like refuge in extremitie, Lord, where are thy former mercies which thou swarest to Dauid in thy truth? Psal. 89.49. Calling to minde therefore the certaintie of these promi­ses, let vs by the example of Iacob commit our selues to Gods tuition and defence, Gen. 32.9. for they are cer­tissimae.

3 3. Are they Gratuitae, the free donations of his good­nesse [Page 21]& mercy? Then where are the blind merits of Monks and Friars, and the workes of supererogation of insolent Iesuites? their pretended merits either of condignitie or congruity, are altogether repugnant to the freedome of these promises: a debt of desert as hire to a labourer, or of duty as of thankfulnesse to a benefactour, farre be it that we should claime any such due from God to vs; for to vs belongeth shame and confusion, Gen. 32.10. being lesse then the least of Gods mercies: It is his great mercie that we are not consumed, and therefore in all these promises, Psal. 115.1. Not vnto vs Lord, not vnto vs, but vnto thy name giue the glorie.

4 4. Are they magnae & pretiosae? Hence then let vs learne to be thankfull. When one told Dauid Sauls intendment to make him his sonne in law, he answered, For what? See­meth it a small thing vnto you to be sonne in law to a King? Sam. 18.18. what am I? or what is my life, or the familie of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in law to a King? His case fits with ours, but in some respects it doth not; for what comparison be­twixt Dauid and vs, or analogy twixt God and Saul? Da­uid had deserued well of his countrey; and againe, though he were sonne in law, yet should not be heire to the Crowne: but for our selues, I say not, what am I? but what are we, or our fathers house? was not our father an A­morite, and our mother an Hittite, drowned in supersti­tion, sold vnto sinne, and full of ignorance? I say of the best, which can best expresse his mind and meaning, that he cannot expresse his owne vnworthinesse. And betwixt God and Saul, what should I say? who is the Saul of Sauls, in whose respect all the Princes of the earth are but wash­pots, vnto whom the Angels are ministers, accounting it their greatest honour to do him seruice, yea and the hea­uens and the earth do bow downe vnto him:& yet vs tan­tillos & tales, so weake, and so vnworthy, hath he crow­ned with his honours, to make vs sonnes and daughters to himselfe, to reigne and rule for euer in his glory. Praise ye the Lord therefore all ye his Saints, for it becometh the [Page 22]Saints right well to be thankfull.

5 5. Are they Futurae, of good things to come? Then it behoueth vs, expectare impletionem, to waite on his mercies vntill he heare vs, helpe vs, heale vs, and crowne vs: Pa­tientia vobis opus est, Heb. 10.36. Ye haue need of patience, that when you haue done the will of God you might inherite the promise: therefore must we become followers of them which through faith and patience, Heb. 12.1. obtained the promises.

6 6. And lastly, are they so generall, speciall, such as hath bene said, tam augustissimae, so glorious, and in extent so large and liberall? Let vs then make the same vse of them which the Apostle here maketh in this place; viz. Let vs obey them, Let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit.

Where in the transition of the point from the Antece­dent, (Seeing we haue these promises) to the Consequent: let vs cleanse our selues, &c. Doct. obserue,

The promises of God in Christ are the ground of obe­dience: the Apostle therefore to this purpose maketh the same connexion, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared, and teacheth vs to deny vn­godlinesse and worldly lusts, and that we should liue godlily and righteously and soberly in this present world: the grace of God teacheth vs not to do vngodlines but to deny it, to cleanse our selues from all the outrages and vngodlinesse of the hand and tong, yea and all sinfull lusts of the heart: & that we should liue towards God piè, towards others iustè, and to our selues sobriè. The grace of God teacheth vs to do euē so as I haue said. The promises of God are the ground of obedience, I beseech you by the mercies of God, saith Saint Paul, Rom. 12.1. that you giue vp your bodies and soules a li­uing sacrifice vnto God. &c. Where he makes Gods mercies the onely motiue to obedience; for howsoeuer some do his will of compulsion, because they dare do no other, yet, plures colligit amor; and good men loue God for him­selfe, euen of zeale to his glory. The Lord hath two ordi­nary [Page 23]Heralds of obedience, viz. his promises, and his threats: Aut sequeris aut traheris, either his mercies to al­lure vs, or his iudgements to terrifie vs; and therefore we say on behalfe of his mercies, that the liberty of a Chri­stian doth necessarily imply (not lasinesse) but holinesse: and when we say that the promises of God are gratuitae, our meaning is ex parte antecedente non consequente; free on Gods part to vs, for no inducement in vs to moue him to compassion; but not so on our part towards him, for they are done vpon condition of our obedience. It is in his promises as in his threatnings, they all runne (not ab­solutely but) with a prouiso, expressed or at least wise vn­derstood. Si nisi non esset, perfectum quidlibet esset, Were it not for conditions and exceptions, our end was present destruction, Except you repent you shall all perish: but the Nisi comes in like a Repriueall betwixt the sentence and the execution day: and as it is in the case of threatning, so likewise of promise; for there is a twofold nisi, of repen­tance, and of obedience, so that except we performe the conditions, we haue no part nor claime in the promises. The charge of Iosua makes it plaine, Iosua 23. as that chap­ter doth dilate at large; neither need I stand to cleare this point, that all the promises run with the condition of ho­linesse, for all the Sermons of the Prophets and Apostles, giue witnesse to this purpose: And this is the will of God, euen your sanctification: God hath purchased you to be a people, Tit. 2.14. holy and peculiar to himselfe, that you should be zealous of good workes: & therefore Gods loue and our obedience, which God hath ioyned together, let no man put asunder.

Vse. 1 Are the promises of God the ground of obedience?Then our doctrine is not a doctrine of liberty, neither is the calling of a Christian a calling of ease; for we preach not mercies, or promises, that men should liue as they list. Should a malefactor contemne his Prince because he is mercifull, or a sonne disobey his father for his loue and affection? This I say, that precedent promises can purchase [Page 24]no license for subsequent sinnes. It is not our hope, but the profession of our hope that shall saue vs. Saint Paule therefore saith, 1. Cor. 5.7. Purge out the old leauen, that you may be a new lumpe, for Christ our passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Because he was crucified for vs, let vs not crucifie him againe, but rather because he was sacrificed for vs, let vs sacrifice our selues for him, in obedience and sanctity. For Gods mercie and our obedience must be ioyned together, and they that turne away obedience and faith from their hearts, turne away Christs merits and mercies from their soules; and they that will not weepe ouer him whom their sinnes haue wounded, he shall neuer bleede ouer them that their sinnes my be pardoned: and therefore,

2. See the calumniation of our quarrelling aduersaries, the aduersaries of the grace of God, the Church of Rome, which charge vs with that we neuer taught, God he knowes our innocency, viz. that we teach promise with­out obedience, faith without workes; and therefore that we are solifidians, and teach a doctrine of licenciousnesse to all impietie. But to these I say, that we haue not so taught, Eph.4.20. neither haue we so learned Christ; for we teach, faith without workes to be a dead faith, and the promises of God without our obedience shall do vs no good; for howsoeuer they are sufficient in themselues, yet are they not effectuall in vs. But to bring home their sinne to their owne doores, to pay them with their owne coine, or ra­ther to strike thē with the rod which they haue prepared: may I not say, and experience beare me witnesse, that I speake the truth in Christ and lie not? Is not their do­ctrine a doctrine of liberty, 1 Tim.4.1. or rather of diuels? which make merchandise of sinne, as of flesh in the shambles, making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience; and hauing clad them­selues with the figge leaues of a blind dispensation from a Popish broker, they blush not at most direfull proiects, but walke secure in the machinations and executions of all villany. What shall I name that which is not to be na­med [Page 25]amongst Christians, the tolleration of stewes, and the like (which yet is not paralelled among the nations?) A­las, paruaqueror, these be but trifles. Seneca. Audent aliquid breui­bus gyaris & carcere dignum: To kill a King, or poison a Prince, to blow vp a Senate, to defie God, deface reli­gion, plot treasons, spoile a nation; these and the like are patronized among those Satanicall spirits, and the actors canonized for worthies, and their acts for workes of su­pererogation. I might instance in their intended desolati­ons in the dayes of our famous Deborah, the memoriall of whose name shall be blessed for euer: and their hellish treasons now in the dayes of our happie Ioshua (whose yeares the Lord make as many ages, and fill all his dayes with peace) a Monarch for his power, and a man after Gods owne heart, so famous for his learning, so learned in religion, and religious in profession, innocent from wrong, peaceable in his wayes, and mercifull to all, if not too mercifull to them; and yet did not these infernall spi­rits, Antichristian pioners and Romish Mold warpes, seeke to extinguish this glorious light, and the life of the whole land, vno tactu, vno ictu, vno nictu, with one blow, sulphuri­ous blast, in the twinkling of an eye, to haue dismembred and crushed together the gouernment, counsell, wisedom, learning, iustice and religion of God in the whole land? Oh inauditum nefas, oh nefandum scelus! Oh vnspeakable vil­lanie, especially to be countenanced or canonized but in the Rolles of hel, or by a Pope a diuel incarnate: and doth not the Pope giue libertie and dispensations for the com­mitting of the same? is not this a doctrine of libertie, which doth giue libertie to make themselues (as it were) drunke with the bloud of so many worthies? I dare be bold to say, that all the Masses, Dirges, Trentals, smoakie fumes and polluted lip-seruice, and (as the Apostle spea­keth) beggerly rudiments, Gal.4.9. or (if you will) cosening shifts of all the idolatrous Iesuites, Monkes and Friers, and adde to them all the English calues, begotten by the buls of [Page 26]Rome, cannot wash this one bloudie sinne from the Popes bloud-guiltie soule.

3 3. What shall I say of the world, who from the promi­ses of God take libertie to sinne? For God and the world are contrary: and it is to be obserued, that Gods Saints out of his promises deduce arguments of obedience, which worldly libertines do not. I wil dwell among you: I will walke with you: I will be your God: I will be your Father, &c. these are Gods promises, and the Apostle reades them in feare and feeling, Seeing we haue these promises, let vs cleanse our selues; but the world reades them in licentious­nes, Seeing we haue these promises, let vs defile our selues. Psal.130.4. There is mercie with God, therefore shall he be feared, saith Da­uid; therefore we need not feare him, saith the world. The time of our abiding here is short, therefore let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not, 1. Cor. 7.29. saith the Apostle; but let vs vse it while we haue it, 1. Cor. 15.32. Let vs eate and drinke, for to morrow we shall die, saith the libertine. These things being thus, I do the lesse wonder to reade what is written: Know ye not, my bre­thren, that the wisedome of the world is foolishnesse? and, the loue of the world is enmitie with God, Iam. 4. By which oppo­sition you may perceiue that there are two sorts of men here aimed at; the former, such as are not named, nor wor­thy the naming, which promise themselues libertie, and yet are themselues the seruants of corruption, 2. Pet. 2.19. Who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse, beasts without reason, men without humanitie, as bad as the horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding, their consciences are feared with an hote iron, and are setled on the lees of their iniquities, which make a mocke of Gods promises, and say Where is the promise of his coming? 2. Pet. 3.3. beasts led in sensualitie, which haue giuen themselues to worke vn­cleannesse, euen with greedinesse, Ephes 4. a generation of vi­pers, and vicious brood, Math. 23.33. more degenerate then Nebuchad­nezzar from a King to a beast, for whom is reserued the damnation of hell; Be not therefore companions with them, [Page 27]for you were once darknesse, but now are you light in the Lord, Eph. 5.7. and therefore labour to be of them which are the children of light, the sonnes of God, and heires with Christ according to these promises, in whom resteth the spirit of feare and feeling. Prou. 28.14.

4 Lastly, that we may so do as the promises moue and teach vs, viz. forsake sinne, and embrace holinesse; let vs euermore consider the sufferings of Christ for sinne, and his promises mouing him thereunto. Can the adulterer take delight in the sinne of the flesh, considering his flesh that was wounded for his sinnes? Could the voluptuous and feathered gallants take such surfets of pleasure, seeing Christ sweating and shedding streames of water & bloud? Could the horseleach the vnsatiable seruant of Mammon say as the Poet saith, Populus me sibilat, mihi plaudo ipse do­mi, so blesse himselfe in his wretched gettings, and know Christ pierced to the heart for getting of them? Or can we heare of his bleeding and suffering, and yet continue in sinning? Can we loue that, which God at all times and in all places hath so protested that he hates? He could not en­dure it in heauen; Angeli detruduntur, the Angels were throwne downe headlong for it; he could not endure it on earth, Christus crucifigitur, his owne Sonne died for it: nor yet in hell, Inferni cruciantur, whole legions are tor­mented for it. Let vs therfore deale with sinne for his sake, as he was dealt withall for ours. The Iewes pursued him in his life, crucified him in his death, Math. 27.60. Augustine. and when he was dead, rolled a stone vpon him: so let vs (as Augustine coun­selleth) vpon the crosse of repentance betweene these two grand theeues, the world and the flesh, crucifie sinne, pur­sue it in the rising, resist it in the growing, rest not vntill we haue killed it, and then (as neuer safe enough) let vs rolle a stone vpon it, neuer to reuiue the same or the like againe. And in conclusion, Seeing we haue these promises, merits and mercies for the remission of sinnes, let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, an grow vp [Page 28]to full holinesse in the feare of God. My text, you see, hath brought vs now from the antecedent promises to the con­sequent inferred, Let vs cleanse, &c.

Which conclusion is a sure perswasion to a regenerate life; wherein is contained the two parts of sanctification:

• 1 1. Remotio mali, Let vs cleanse our selues from, &c.
• 2 2. Substitutio boni, And grow vp to full holinesse, &c.

Furthermore, in the conclusion obserue the two gene­rall parts of a proposition.

• • 1 1. Subiectum, Vs: Let vs cleanse, &c.
  • 2 2. Praedicatum, in the two parts forenamed,
  • Remotione mali, Let vs cleanse, &c.
  • Substitutione boni, And grow vp to, &c.

To take them then in order as they are propounded. And first of the Subiectum, Vs. Subiectum.

Vs] If we enquire who are here meant, we shall finde them the same with the former (We) viz. Paul and the Co­rinthians beleeuers; these are they that must cleanse them­selues. From whence obserue,

There is drosse in the best, Doctr. euen the most regenerate, and that in all the parts and powers of the flesh and spirit. All flesh is as grasse, Iam. 1.10. and full of frailties; there is no come but may be blasted, and no soule but may be corrupted. In the fairest rose, a man may find a canker; euen so the holiest man hath his gifts, with sundry imperfections. The stoutest man may haue a fall; and the iust man falls seuen times a day. Whosoeuer then is without sinne, let him cast the first stone at his fellow. in many things (saith the Apo­stle) we sinne all. And therefore saith Iob, though a iust man, If I shall iustifie my selfe, my owne mouth shall condemne me: if I will put forth my selfe for a perfect man, he will proue me a wic­ked doer, Iob 9.20. And Dauid to like purpose (though a man after Gods owne heart) cries out, Heale my soule, O Lord, for I haue sinned against thee. 1. Ioh. 1.10. And who so faith that he is without sinne, is a lier, and the truth is not in him, 1. Ioh. 1.10. [Page 29]There is sinne therefore in the godly aswell as the vngod­ly, but with difference; the one sinnes of infirmity, the o­ther with consent and approbation: in the one sin dwels, peccatum inhabitans, in the other it reignes, Peccatum in­habitans & regnans. peccatum reg­nans. It is in the godly as a fire which he laboureth to quench: but in the wicked a consuming fire, which he takes pleasure to kindle. Of the godly Saint Iohn saith, they commit not sinne, 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Howsoeuer they of­fend, yet it is with reluctation of spirit, they are preuen­ted and ouertaken vnawares, Gal. 6.1. But the wicked commit sinne, and continue therein; but their commtiti­mus will seale them a mittimus, and send them to hell bo­dy and soule. This then is the difference: The godly say with Dauid, Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie & cleanse me from my sinne, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is before me; against thee, thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight, &c. Psal. 51.2.3. He humbles himselfe with the prodigo, Luk. 15. I haue sinned against heauen and against thee ô Father of my flesh and spirit. Knockes his breast as the arke of all iniquity, and sighing saies: Luk. 18.13. God be merci­full to me a sinner. But the wicked Ieremy describes them thus, They blush at nothing, they haue an harlots forehead; Ier. it is meate and drinke to them to commit wickednesse: and Peter saith: They wonder at the children of God, Pet. because they runne not riot as they do: and in one word, in the one sinne reignes, but in the other sinne onely remaines.

Reason. 1 1. Because we haue sucked corruption from the breasts of our mothers, yea not onely borne, but conceiued in sinne, Psal. 51.5. Nemo naescitur sanctus; and therefore in that we are heires in hope, Non tam generatio quàm regene­ratio spectanda est; euery Natus must be renatus: for it is written, Except you be borne againe, &c. Ioh. 3.5. Yea and re­generation is not presently perfected but by degrees: as a wilde oliue tree growing out of a stone-wall, the boughes and branches thereof may be cut and corrected, but the roote remaining, by the sent of water will be rea­dy [Page 30]to sproute anew, till the wall be broken and the roote pulled vp; so old Adam who remaining in the wals of this earthly tabernacle, may be curbed and suppressed that sinne reigne not in our mortall bodies, yet will he be prompt and readie to bring forth fruites of vnrighteous­nesse, vpon occasion, till the walles of this earthly house be destroied by death, to be raised againe more gloriously.

2 2. Because our sanctification is but in part, as Saint Paule doth dispute the point, Rom. 7.22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde.

3 3. Because by this we might be humbled with our wants, and keepe our soules waiting on Gods mercy, and more earnestly endeauour to be in Christ. Paule for our example was filled with the Spirit, and had abundance of reuelations, taken vp into the third heauen, and heard such mysteries, as is not possible for the tongue of man to vtter: but lest he should be exalted out of measure, there is giuen him, stimulus concupiscentiae, and the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him, 2. Cor. 12.7. For as the diuell brings euill out of good, so God brings good out of euill, causing the wants of his Saints and their infirmities, yea their sinnes which the diuell worketh as poyson to kill them, to be for their welfare in his prouidence, and po­tions to cure them; for by these he humbleth them; so that all things worke for their good.

Vse. 1 1. Rom. 8.28. Is there drosse in the best? Then can we expect no iustification by our workes, for sinne cannot iustifie sinne, and in our best actions are manifold imperfections, Gal. 2.16. Know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law, but by the faith of Iesus Christ, &c.

2 2. See here the Errour of the Catharists, which hold that after regeneration none can sinne; for say they, As of a wilde tree the old top being cut off, and new impes in­grasted, it bringeth fruite no more wilde, but good fruite; so we being ingrafted into Christ sinne not: grounding on [Page 31]that text, Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not. 1 Ioh. 3.9. But I answer, that their Simile holds not: and I put this question whe­ther they make Christ or the man to be the stocke so graf­ted; for we know that the fruite is good by vertue of the impe and not of the stocke: if then we are the impes in Christ, by their reason he should be made fruitfull and good by vs: but if they make man the stocke, and Christ the impe or grafts, I say the new man Christ sinnes not; & so saith Saint Ioh. 3.9. But yet they must remember the old stock, & to looke to the roote which will not be pre­sently changed, but will yeeld still wilde branches bearing fruites of vnrighteousnesse.

3 3. This teacheth vs, by their drosse to purge our selues, and not to take liberty to sinne because they haue sinned. Because one man hath fallen into the sea and scaped drow­ning, shall a man leape into the sea? this were high presūp­tion. Build not therefore vpon their ruines, for their infir­mities are written for our instruction, to shew that God will not spare sinne wheresoeuer he findes it, no not in his Saints, but doth register and chronicle their reproches to all posterities, like Lots wife which was turned into a pil­lar of salt, and set vp as examples to season others; Gen. 19.26. and to giue vs warning, vpon whom the ends of the world are come, that whereas for them there was a cure behind, the sacrifice of the Lambe, which was not yet slaine, but for such as shall now sinne Christ dieth no more, Reu. 22.7. for his next coming shall be in iudgemen.

4 4. Mat. 7.1. We are taught to beware of rash iudgement to con­demne a man for some few infirmities, as because one pro­fessor is discouered for an hypocrite, therefore to censure all, as if all the Apostles were to be condemned for Iudas. Should a sonne despise his father because he is poore? or the blind disdaine to be directed by the lame, because he cannot walke with him? Surely we are not to contemne the meanest gifts; for in the building of the Temple all haue not the chiefest place, but some square the stones, [Page 32]some fit the mortar, some carry, and some place the worke. Ex quouis ligno non sit Mercurius: so to the building of the Temple of Christ, 1 Cor. 3.13. 1 Cor. 12. some bring stubble, some straw, some mortar, euery man according to the measure of faith which he hath receiued, and in the end euery mans worke shall be tried by the fire; and till the end let all this be vsed to edification. If none should study physick but those that could cure all diseases, we should haue no Physicians; and if none should serue God but those that could serue God perfectly, we should haue none to serue God. Which of you casteth away a crackt peece of gold, or a broken siluer cup? No more are we to despise the graces of God in a meane person though imperfect; for he which hath recei­ued most hath many wants, and a wise mans iudgement begins at his owne house.

5 5. And lastly, we learne not to brag and boast of our broken seruice, but to be humbled with our manifold wants and infirmities. When we haue preached all our liues, and praied with neuer so entire affection, and labou­red our callings with neuer so great diligence, we are al­together vnprofitable, hauing left more vndone then those we haue performed: yea and whatsoeuer we haue done is in such great weaknesse, Psal. 143. 2. that Lord, if thoushouldest marke what is done amisse, who shall be able to abide it. In con­clusion therefore let him haue the glory in all things, who giueth seede vnto the sower and bread to him that nee­deth, 1. Cor. 9.10.who worketh in vs both to will and to do: and we let vs cleanse our selues; for when we haue done all, we are still vnprofitable seruants. Luk. 17.10. And of the (Subiectum) thus farre; now to the praedicate, wherein is set downe Remotio mali, Remotio ma­li in 5. viz. Let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit.

Wherin obserue the fiue forenamed passages.

• 1 1. The property of the worke, Cleanse.]
• 2 2. The propriety of the persons [our selues]
• 3 3. The matter to be wrought on [filthinesse]
• [Page 33]4. The generality of the taske [all filthinesse]
• 5. The speciality of the parts and powers infected [flesh and spirit.]

For the first, &c.

Cleanse] which is a metaphoricall speech taken from outward washing: for as filth is done away by water, so by the helpe of Gods Spirit, must we cleanse our selues from sinne.

You shall reade to this purpose, diuers lawes and sta­tutes in Israel: of cleansing the Altar, Exod, 29. of clean­sing the Leaper, Leuit. 13. of cleansing the house of the Lord, 2. Chron. 29. of cleansing Iudah and Ierusalem, 2. Chron. 34. of cleansing the people, with the gates and en­trances of their cities and houses, Nehem. 11. And these lawes, we know, were typicall, hauing resemblance of things to come: and the same God being our God, requi­reth the same of vs in substance, which was prefigured in these ceremonies and shadowes. For the Altar is our heart, Cor mundum, Psal. 51. a cleane heart: the leprosie is our sinne, which stings like a scorpion, and infects like a leprosie: the house of the Lord, are our bodies and soules, which are the temples of the holy Ghost: Iudah and Ieru­salem, are the Israel of God, which must be holy euen as he is holy: and the people and their gates, are we here as­sembled, whom of no people, he hath made a people, that we should sanctifie our gates, viz. our affections and acti­ons, through which the Spirit of grace shall go in and out. Lift vp your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift vp ye euer lasting doores: purge the altar of your hearts, Psal. 24.7. cleanse the leprosie of your sinne, sanctifie your bodies and soules; and though Israel play the harlot, yet let not Iudah sinne, but make cleane and prepare the doores of your tabernacles, Psal. 118.19. that the King of glorie may come in.

Againe. I finde by obseruation generally, that we are said two wayes to be cleansed: which I may call the for­mer and the after labour, viz. the inchoation and progres­sion [Page 34]of repentance. Man in the former is meerly a patient, dead vnto sinne, Rom. 7.18. 2. Cor. 3.5. in whom dwels no good thing; hauing no power to raise himselfe; but euen the disposition of the will, which is otherwise blindly led, and captiue vnto sin, it doth proceed of him which workes all good in all. 1. Cor. 12.6. But in the other we are in some sort agents, cooperary Dei, liuely instruments to worke out our owne saluation. For the former, it is no more possible for a man to cleanse him­selfe, then to change the spots of a Leopard, or to wash white the skin of a Morian. The heart of naturall man is so hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne, that ex­cept a more powerfull spirit doth incline, and soften, and dispose it inwardly to good, a man with as good successe may plow on the rocke, or sow on the shoare, as by words thinke to winne a man to repentance: for this cleansing, it is the gift of God, Ephes. 2.4. and the first act thereof is his immediate hand; such as all the naturall eloquence and force of man cannot effect. For, as the wise man speaketh, Who can say, I haue made my owne heart cleane? Prou. 20, 19. And as that cripple which eight and thirtie yeares waited at the poole of Bethesda, if he had not bene helped by our Sauiour, had liued and died a cripple, because he was not able to moue himselfe into the waters, Ioh. 5.5. so ex­cept a more powerfully spirit doth moue, yea and compell vs into the maine of Maries weeping water of life, we should liue and die, and be damned for want of peniten­cie. Dauid therefore for the example of all others, thus teacheth vs to turne to the God of our saluation: Haue mercie vpon me, O God, according to, &c. Psal. 51.1. And a­gaine, ver. 1. Wash (thou) me throughly from mine iniquitie. And againe, ver. 7. Purge (thou) me with bysope, &c. And a­gaine, ver. 10. Create in me a clane heart, O God, &. And so the Prophet Ieremie teacheth, See Ez. 36.25 Conuert thou me, and I shall be conuerted, for thou art the Lord my God, Ier. 31.18. And yet not this, but the after labour of renouation, is the pro­per and most genuine interpretation of my text.

Wherein through the grace of God, we are become in­strumentall agents to cleanse our selues. And to this pur­pose runne all the precepts and commandements, which call for our obedience and amendments, Ezech. 18.30 Rom. 12.2. Isa. 1.16. Turne you, turne you, &c. Wash you, make you cleane, &c. Fashion not your selues like vnto this world, but be yerenewed. &c. And the like. These precepts we call Euangelicall, which do alwayes presuppose Gods mercifull hand to helpe, whose grace is prest and readie to all that call vpon him, more willing to giue then we to aske, and giueth more then we can desire, yea and is not wanting to any, except they be wanting to themselues. And to what end doth God lend vs eyes and eares, and hands and feete, but to see and heare, and worke and walke? So his grace which is giuen vnto vs, must not be idle but operatiue to all good workes, to adde to our faith vertue, to vertue knowledge, to knowledge tem­perance, &c. 2. Pet. 1.5.6.—

A man therefore in his renouation is not ficulnus inutile lignum, like the image of Baal, or the stumpe of Dagon, 1. Kin. 18.17. 1. Sam. 5.4. Psal. 13 5.15. or the idols of the Gentiles, which haue eyes and see not, eares and heare not, mouthes and speake not, hands, &c. But as the sicke which was healed, must take vp his bed and walke; Mar. 2.11. & as the dumbe, the blinde, the lame, and the dead, which were restored to speech, and sight, and strength, and life, they spake, and saw, and leaped, and gaue glorie to God: and as Paul, after his conuersion, Act. 9.20. must presently preach the Gospell; so must we not suffer the grace of God and his good meanes to sleepe or be idle in vs, but we must set our hands to his plow, labour in his vineyard, worke the saluation of our selues and others, worke (I say) and that for life, euen with feare and trembling. Phil. 2.12.

The carter driuing by the way (let me craue your ho­nourable patience for a familiar and homely comparison) sodainly his wheele chopped into a dangerous pit, and the poore man well perceiuing the difficultie and streights to escape, presently fell downe on his knees, and besought [Page 36]his god iupiter to come and helpe; but a voice was retur­ned vnto him, saying. Set thy shoulder to the wheele, and lash on thy horses, and then I will helpe thee: euen so the helpe of Gods sauing health, is proper to the generation of See­kers, which are not slacke, no nor weary of well doing, but seeke him with the whole heart, Psal. 24 6. viz. with all the force and power of the parts and powers both of bodie and mind: so that as it is true in common experience, Fortes Deus adiuuat, God doth helpe and blesse the endeuours of a diligent hand; so is it most true in our purgation, Vp, and be doing, Neh. 2. and God will be with you; for seeing God doth enable vs, we must stirre and bestirre to cleanse our selues.

Reason. 1 1. Iob 25.5. Because our God is most pure and holy, which hath found folly in his Angels, yea and the heauens are not cleare in his sight, Iob 15.15. how much more is man abhominable and filthy, which drinketh iniquitie like water? yea our God is iealous and iust God, Haba. 1.13. whose eyes cannot see and spare of­fenders. Slow to anger, but great in power, and cannot iustifie the wicked, Nahum 1.3. He spared not the world which sin­ned, but ouerwhelmed all with a floud of water. He spared not his Church, Gen. 7. the Quintessence of the world: no nor his Saints, Psal. 106. iude 6. ver. the Quintessence of his Church: not the An­gels, which were in his presence, but threw them downe from heauen like lightning: no nor his onely Sonne stan­ding in our place, Math. 27.46. but he bare the full viall of his wrath. Magna amaritudo peccati, quae tantam amaritudinem peperit. Surely it is time that we cleanse our selues, for our God is a iealous God, to visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children, Exod. 20. Heb. 12.29. to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him.

2 2. Because it is his will and pleasure that we should be pure and holy, As obedient children (saith Saint Peter) not fashioning your selues to the former lusts of your ignorance, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Deut. 10.17. [Page 37] And if you call him Father, which without respect of person iudgeth euery man according to his worke, passe the time of your dwelling here in feare, I. Pet. 1.15, 16.

3 3. Because the pure in heart shall onely stand in his pre­sence, to which purpose were all the oblations and wa­shings of the Leuiticall law, together with the differen­ces and distinguishments of the cleane and vncleane, Leuit. 11. in birds, and beasts, and men also, to teach that no vncleane or sinnefull person shall stand in his presence: 1 Cor. 15. neither doth corruption in herite incorruption. For if the question be, Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? The answer is, Euen he that hath innocent hands, and a pure heart, Psal. 24. 3. 4. And Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Math. 5.

4 4. Because the promises both of this and a better life belong to them onely. Vnto the pure are all things pure, but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their minds and consciences are defiled; they professe that they know God, but in workes they deny him, and are ab­hominable and disobedient, and to euery good worke reprobate, Tit. 1.15.

And for a better life. God is light (saith Saint Iohn) and in him dwelleth no darknesse, if we say that we haue fellowship with him, and walke in darknesse, we lie and do not truely; but if we walke in the light, as he is in the light, we haue fellowship one with another, and the bloud of Christ his Son cleanseth vs from all sinne. 1. Ioh. 1. 6.7.

Vse. 1 1. The vse of this point is, that seeing in the worke of renouation, man is meerely a patient dead vnto sinne &c. not to ascribe the worke of renouation or corruption vn­to our selues, but vnto God onely. For as it was not pos­sible for the Israelits, to passe through the red sea, if God by a speciall miracle had not prepared their way and made a passage for them: so for man to passe from the waies of death, to the waies of life, from the waies of sinne to the waies of righteousnesse, without the speciall meditation [Page 38]and helpe of diuine grace is impossible. This is that which our Sauiour speaketh of, Ioh. 15.5. Without me you can do nothing. For can we promise any thing more to our selues then Dauid in the 119. Psal. I will run O Lord (saith he) the way of thy commandements, when thou hast set my heart at liber­ty? Can we run with our feete, before our hearts be prepa­red, or can we run with our heart, before God hath en­larged it? Can we run the way without the way? which is Christ Iesus, away which we cannot see, till our eies be enlightned? Not so: but when God shall haue opened the eies of our vnderstandings, then with Dauid may we see the wonderfull things of Gods law. For there is gra­tia praeueniens, before we can do any good, and there must be gratia cooperans, to assist vs in well doing, and gratiaper­ficiens vel subsequens, to continue vnto the end; so that we cannot perfect the worke of renouation, Nisi gratia prae­ueniat, gratia cooperetur, gratiaperficiat vel subsequatur.

2 2. Seeing God of his mercie doth deuide the worke of our purification with vs, and doth challenge the former to himselfe, it remaineth in the latter that we be not wanting to our selues; but seeing he hath begun, conuer­ted, cleansed vs, let vs second this inchoation, conuersion, purgation, by cleansing our selues and working out our owne saluation. For whereas formerly we were blinde, now he hath enlightned vs; we were cast downe, but he hath raised vs; we were dead in sinnes & trespasses, but he hath quickned vs, illuminating our minds, rectifying our willes, disposing our hearts from euill to good: Let vs not be the enemies of God and our owne saluation, to quench the spirit, but endenour our selues to know the good plea­sure of his will, for he hath enlightned vs: to walke in his waies, for he hath raised vs; and by all meanes to make our election sure, for he doth enable vs to euery good worke. And so from the property of the worke, let vs de­scend to the propriety of the person. The propriety of the person

2. Our selues] It is a worke worth the labour, to bring [Page 39]the worke of cleansing to our owne house. Saint Paule saith, Let a man examine himselfe, 1. Cor. 11. Prou. 18. And the Wise­man witnesseth: iustus primus est accusator sui. The iust mans iudgement beginnes at his owne heart. Nullibi clariùs agnosci potest vera iustitia quàm cum de peccatis aliorum agitur; verò enim iustitia ( vt ait Gregorius) compassionem habet, falsa vero indignationem. A righteous man is not sooner seene in any thing then in this, when comparison is made twixt him and others: Truth and honesty herein are full of compas­sion, but falshood and hypocrisie hatch malice and indig­nation. The eye which seeth all things seeth not it selfe, viz. Per lineamrectam, but by reflection: so the infirmities of others we see per radios directos, and they are euer in our sight, but our owne sinnes we see per ambages & circumlo­quia, neither will we see them till iudgement doth force them home to the conscience. A wonder it is to see how the world is in loue with lying vanity: Maxima pars ho­minum stultitiae vitio laborat: who is he amongst vs which doth not thinke himselfe wise, and cleane, and holy, & bet­ter then other men? Aurum & opes & vasa frequens donabit amicos, Qui velie ingenio cedere, nullus erit. That other men are richer then themselues some will cunningly grant for aduantage, to lay the greatest loade on the weakest horse; but that men are better or more holy, is the last thing that will be heard of. A strange thing, that sinfull man who is of all creatures most miserable, should be of all creatures most proud. Saint Paule turnes his eies into his owne heart for the example of all others, where taking a strict view, he calles himselfe the chiefe of sinners: and Dauid speaking of his owne sinnes faith, that they are euer in his sight, Psal. 51.3. But I know not how men are sicke of selfeloue, and the deepenesse of folly doth possesse their hearts: when in the infirmities of others, they are more then Lynceous eyes, but in their owne offences they are oculis capti, and more blinde then Bats and Moles: In other mens sinnes, Polyphemus mutatur in Argum, they haue [Page 40]more cies then the Leopard hath spots, and not a more shall escape their censure; but in their owne, Argus muta­tur in Polyphemum, and they are more blinde then Barti­maeus which knew not men from trees, neither can they see beames at home. But who so thus rashly wadeth into the infirmities of others, Ʋolodie fratris vel cupidine laudis ducitur: either hatred or pride hath euermore an hand in such dealing. Et qui sibi malus, cui bonus? and how should we expect good from him to others, which knowes not to be good vnto himselfe? For charity first purgeth her owne heart, and then in compassion passeth to the infir­mities of others.

Because that euery one shall giue an account for his owne soule, Reason. and for the measure of grace which he hath receiued; other mens talents shall not come in our recko­nings, but in particular, so shall the Summons be: Luk. 16. Redde rationem, Giue thou an account of thine owne Stewardship. And What art thou then that iudgest another mans servant, seeing in that thou iudgest another thou doest condemne thy selfe, Rom. 2. 1. And againe, that euery seruant standeth or falleth to his owne Lord, Rom. 144. And in this case it may well be said, Who made thee a iudge or aruler ouer him? Peter therefore when he will be smattering in Iohns affaires, our Sauiour answereth, Quid est hoc tibi? What is that to thee? looke thou to thy selfe, follow thoume. Ioh. 21.

Vse. 1 1. This serues for the condemnation of all hypocrites, whose fashion is to wade deeply into other mens consci­ences, yea and euen bloudily to goare their best gifts by their mouthy and vncleane censures. They bind burdens heauy and grieuous to be borne, and lay them on other mens shoulders. Math.23. but they themselues will not touch them with the least of their fingers: Serpents, a generation of Vipers, painted Sepulchers, who although the poyson of Aspes be vnder their lips, and their feete do treade the steps of darknesse, yet these for a pretence of zeale and ho­linesse will throw the first stone, and pursue the infirmities [Page 41]of their brethren with deadly hatred.

Clodius accusat Moechos, Catilina Cethegum.

They which are most in fault, for the most part will soo­nest find fault: but thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? Rom. 2. Thou that preachest to another, Thou shalt not steale, doest thou steale? Or thou which sayest to ano­ther, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, doest thou commit adul­terie? Hypocrite, primùm ecce trabem, Matth.7.3. first cast the beame out of thine owne eye, that thou mayest more clearely see the more that is in thy brothers eye.

Vse. 2 And among all other hypocrites, it taxeth the headlong and blind zeale of our late Separatists and Anabaptisticall spirits, whose bowels of late yeares did euen burst with indignation, as the bowels of Iudas gushed out; crying out against disorders abroad, but neuer reforming their owne consciences at home; whereof one speaketh very well, Conuenimus ad reformandam Ecclesiam, sed praepostero ordine, quisque enim alium emendare vult, seipso neglecto: A preposte­rous kind of zeale, as of those whose meetings are not for the better but for the worse, which censure in seueritie the slips of others, but labour not at all to cleanse themselues. The Pharisees, the fathers and predecessors of these Secta­ries, they condemned our Sauiour propter peccatricem, Luk. 7.39. they taxed his disciples for vnwashen hands, Mat. 15. yea and censured them for the eares of corne, Math. 12. so these supercilious and blind guides, in other mens infir­mities they straine at a gnat, but in their owne they swal­low a camell. Qui non suis bonis, sed alienis malis sanctimoniae laudem venantur: whose [...] is [...]: their madnesse (I say) and folly is manifest, because not for good things (which themselues do not,) but from euils, which they spie out it others (as best acquainted therewith in secret) hence would they gaine the name of zeale and puritie; and hereby they sucke no small aduantage. But let me vse once more what our Sauiour vseth often: Quid vides festucam? Hypocrite, why seest thou the mote? Matth. 7. Et vt dicam ali­quid [Page 42]mirabile: surely a wonder it seemes to me; Qui habet trabem, videt: & qui non habet trabem, non videt. he that hath a beame in his eye, sees: and he that hath none, sees not. But the reason is, 1. Cor. 13. Charitas non cogitat malum, A pure heart thinkes no hurt. As when our first parents were innocent, they saw not their nakednesse; Gen. 3. but when they had sinned, they saw, and were ashamed: so a wonder it is, that their sinnes which are as beames in the eyes, should so cleare their sight, that they can see motes in others.

Vse. 3 It serueth as a sure rule to examine how it stands with vs in the case of humilitie: for a nearer or truer way to know whether we be proud or humble, cannot be then this, how we iudge our selues pure or holy in respect of others. The proud who examine all things falsly, take this preposterous course, in comparing themselues with o­thers, they put in one scale the infirmities of their brethren, and in the other their owne seeming righteousnesse, alto­gether forgetting their sinnes, which makes them in iudg­ing to iustifie themselues: but the humble, best acquain­ted with their owne wants, other mens sinnes being hid from them, in one scale put their owne sinnes, and in the other the good things of others; which makes them sigh vnder the burden of their infirmities, and say with the poore Publican, God be mercifull to me a sinner.

Moses when his face did shine so gloriously, that the people could not beare the splendor thereof, Exod. 34. onely him­selfe knew it nor. And the most dangerous sicknesse which doth befall the soule (the bottomlesse gulfe of despaire onely excepted) is, that any should thinke himselfe pure, and holy, and cleane, and better then other men: for they which know themselues sicke, do seeke for helpe; but they which thinke themselues cleane, do liue and die in their sinnes for want of cleansing. But we, my brethren, know­ing our manifold and foule offences, let my text bring vs backe, whence we are digressed, to cleanse and purge our owne hearts first, euery one to cleanse one, that so all may [Page 43]be cleansed; cleansed, I say (from filthinesse:) and that is the third passage of the point, viz. the matter to be wrought vpon.

Filthinesse) The matter to be wrought vpon, is filthinesse: 3. The mat­ter to be wroughtvpō.where by a Synecdochicall procession, is put the part for the whole, as one figure is put for a thousand: so vnder this word filthinesse, is comprehended sinne in generall: and from the very name, behold the nature of sinne, it is called filthinesse, whence obserue,

Sinne is odious, as it may appeare elsewhere by the names in the Scripture; it is called pollution, a leprosie, Leuit. 20. 2. Pet. 2. 23. Iosh. 7. a contagion, the vomit of a dog, and wallowing of a swine in the mire. Againe, it is called vncleannesse, the execrable thing; and euery where it is said to be abhomination, more loathsome then the boiles of Iob, or the sores of Lazarus: A menstruous cloth, as Isaiah speakes; The stoole of wicked­nes: Lam. 1.as we vse the name in the basest maner. Dauid calleth it, rottennesse and putrifaction, psal. 38. My wounds stinke, and are corrupt, &c. And speaking more generally of all sinners, he saith, Corrupt they are, and become abhominable. Psal 14. The Pro­phet Isaiah doth thus decypher the nature and estate of sin and sinners, whether we speake of one sinner, or of a sinful nation: The whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is heauie: from the sole of the foot to the head, there is nothing whole there­in, but wounds, and swelling, and sores full of corruption: they haue not bene wrapped, nor bound vp, nor mollified with oyle, Isa. 1.5, 6. And the Prophet Ezechiel sets downe the ingen­dring of such a spurious and beastly progenie, like euil and darknesse, and those [...] animalia, which come not vn­der the view of Gods creation: Ezek. 16. Thine habitation and thy kindred (saith he) is of the idolatrous Canaaniets, thy father an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite: and in thy natiuitie thy nauell was not cut, thou wast not washed in water to soften thee, thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in clouts, but thou wast naked, and in thy bloud. By all which may appeare the nature of the matter now in hand, viz. the filthinesse and [Page 44]beastiall pollution and vncleannesse of sinne and sin­ners.

Vse. Is finne so odious? Then see and know from the Pro­phet Hosea, the filthinesse of a sinfull nation, where was no truth, nor mercie, nor knowledge of God in the land, Hose.4. These were not to be found there, and I would to God that we had found what they lost: but the heathen mans poesie is become a true prophesie, Terras Astraea reliquit, In cuius subiere locum fraudes (que) doli (que). The world it is worse and worse, old, cold and stiffe; old in iniquitie, cold in charitie, and stiffe in wickednesse; our grandfathers were wicked, our fathers worse then they, and we claime the sinnes of both by inheritance: Isa. 1. Ah sinfull nation, a people la­den with iniquitie! The filthinesse of our age is such, that, (not peragrare vestigia Satanae, who compasseth the whole earth, and walking through the same, leaueth the spawne of vncleannesse in all places; nor yet to pursue the filthi­nes of this whole land, Plautus. which were onus humeris impar, a burden farre too heauie for my shoulders) if I should but enter ionahs one dayes iourney into this Citie and Sub­urbes, and take notice of the filthy sinnes which here are done, it were much, and too much for my stammering tongue to explane, or my troubled soule to sustaine: wit­nesse with me your selues which sit on the seate of iudge­ment, whether through swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring, men breake not out, and bloud touch­eth bloud. These were the foule offences of Israel, as the Prophet witnesseth, and I would to God they had bene borne and buried in Israel, that we had neuer knowne them; for this famous Citie which is as the crowne of this land, Isa. 5. the compasse of whose walls are as the vineyard of God, now through the riot of sinne, are in many places become Mara & Amara, Ruth 1. a roote of bitternesse, a sinke of sinne, a welspring of pollution, a stage of vngodlinesse, a baite of deceitfulnesse, and a debarring from happinesse. When Gods people hearkned to his voice, and walked in [Page 45]his waies, then were they blessed, and called the Israel of God: but when they for sooke him, and defiled them­selues with the abhominations of the heathen, God as though their sinnes had blotted their names out of the booke of his remembrance, he calles them Sodome and Go­morrah. Esa. 1. Surely (brethren) Samaria by her fornica­tions did iustifie Sodome, and we by our hainous sinnes do iustifie Samaria; for the sinnes of Sodome were these: Ezech. 16.49. Pride, fulnesse of bread, abundance of idlenesse, and contempt of the poore. Ezek. 16. But consider the filthinesse of such a na­tion, where gluttony hath eaten til it hungred, and drun­kennesse hath vomited till it thirsted, where pride is ac­counted the best fashion, and whoredome is called a tricke of youth; where men drinke iniquitie like water, and bind sinnes together as it were with cart-ropes; Esa. 5.18. 1. King. 21, where as Ahab sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, so men as beasts haue giuen themselues ouer to worke all vncleannesse euen with greednesse; Eph. 4.19. some like the proud Angels feathering their wings in presumptuous pride, soaring aloft til their plumes like Daedalus his wings, melted with the fire of Gods wrath, driue them downe to the pit of destruction: some like the couetous Caterpil­lar deuouring the fruite of the poore mans vineyard; some like the vnsatiable maltworme dead drunkē in the streets; yea, here may you see murder and malice runne headlong to destruction, monstrous Anakims men of might, Gen. 11. building a Babel their owne confusion, Ester 3. enuious Hamans macera­ting themselues for their brethrens welfare, Gen. 29. 1. Sam. 25. 2. Sam 16. Esa. 37. Iudith. 13. snudging Nabals and churlish Labans, withholding the wages of the hireling and grinding the face of the poore; cursing She­meies, and blackmouthed Rabsakeis, vnnaturall Sodomites & painted Iezabels, drunken Olifernes Iose head and soule and all; and which hath brought your sinnes to the height, that an adulterous and an idolatrous religion hath still footing in your City and dwellings.

Surely (brethren) if I should totall all in iust account, [Page 46] Dies me deficeret, this day, yea and the daies of my mortall pilgrimage would sooner haue an end then my labour, and therefore I must be forced to vse a peece of ciuill po­licy. Meete but with Agag and the fatlings, the foule and crying sinnes, 1. Sam. 15. and the dependants may more easily be re­formed: And as a man that aimeth at a multitude can at one shoote would only some few; so giue me leaue shoo­ting at all filthinesse, to crush in peeces these two that fol­low, viz. drunkennesse and whoredome: which go hand in hand and haue kissed each other, and are not more hai­nous then common in this City and Suburbes.

And for the hatefull sinne of drunkennesse, howsoeuer it be but a fiction that Cyrces charmes turned mē to swine; yet sure I am, and wofull experience makes knowne too oft, that Bacchus charmes, viz. strong drinke it turneth men to beasts; the soule of man miraculously created by Gods infusion, and infused by creation, lieth drowned in the drunkards body: his body which should be the temple of the holy Ghost, distempered by excessiue riot, is such that his soule might loath to dwell therein; and his goods or possessions (be they more or lesse) lent for the mainte­nance of himselfe and his, are all hoorded in the pot, and put in a bottomlesse bag. The Lacedaemonians a people which knew not God, by the light of nature did so ab­horre this brutish sinne, that their Helots, slaues which they bought for villanage, they would make drunken, and bring them into the market place and expose them as ma­lefactours on a gibbet, that their children seeing their vn­cleannesse and filthinesse, might thereby detest and ab­horre that swinish sin. But we need not buy Helots to set vp as scarecrowes to the world, for eueu before your doores and in your houses may you daily see these beastly Epicures: and were there not a remnant of the house of Israel amongst you to stand in the gap like Moses & Aaron twixt the liuing and the dead, inwardly mourning and la­menting, and as much as in them lieth, labouring and re­forming [Page 47]forming these foule offences, the end of this Citie would be sudden as the fire of Sodome. But it is written, Woe to you drunkards of Ephraim, &c. Esa. 28. 1. Woe to them that rise vp early to follow drunk ennesse, and sit till the wine inflame, Esa. 5.11. Woe to them that are mighty to drinke wine, and strong to poure in strong drinke, Esa, 5.22. Awake ye drunkards, faith Ioel, 1.4. and howleye that are strong to drinke. And thinke you that all these woes are written in vaine? Then is our preaching vaine, and your faith also vaine, and this booke of truth hath no truth in it. Hearken therefore ye men of vnderstanding, and you shall heare the drunkards doome; woe vpon woe shall light vpon them, their posterity shall be beggers, their estate consumed, their name shall rot and perish, their bodies odious euen to them: and which is heauier then all, their soules repulsed from the grace of God, shall dwell with the foule and infernall spirits. who as their desire was to enter and dwell in the heard of swine, Math. 8. so shall these swine remaine with them in chaines of darknesse for euermore: And such is the end of this filthinesse.

To which I may adde whoredome, like Sodome and Samria sisters in impurity; for gluttony and drunkennesse are the gallery and way of whoredome: Venter bene pastus cito dispumat ad libidinem; Gen. 19. drunken Lot and incestuous Lot both in one person, at one time; and they are seldome sundred; for it is no thing new or strange, for a person which shall first become a beast, to do after like a beast. It is a sinne against nature, for whereas other men sow for an haruest, foule fornicators and wicked adulterers, which plow with other mens heisers, they sow that which they dare not reape. But they shall be punished both here and hereafter. Here first with beggery. He that feedeth harlots wasteth his substance, Prou. 29.3. Yea he or his posterity shall be glad to beg a peece of bread, Prou. 6.26.

2. With infamie, for his name and credite shall take such a deepe and incurable wound, that his reproch shall [Page 48]neuer be done away, Prou. 6.33.

3 3. With most loathsome diseases: for the most high & righteous hath appointed that they which will taste the sweete of sinne, shall also be filled with the gall of punish­ment: it bringeth corruption of the bloud, dissolution of the sinewes, rottennes of the marrow, aches in the ioynts, crudities in the stomacke, paines in the head, defects and weaknesse, gouts and palsies, heauinesse of heart and stin­ging of the conscience.

4 4. Yea and after all these it shall be punished with hel fire, for it is writen, Fornication, vncleannesse, inordinate affection, &c. the wrath of God remaineth on such, Col. 3. 6. And a­gaine Whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge, Heb. 13.4.

The holy Ghost ioyneth a whore and a dog together, Deut. 23.18. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore nor the price of a dog into the house of God; and Ieremy compareth a­dulterous beasts to neighing horses. Ier. 5.8. And the wise­man likens them to an oxe going to the slaughter, Prou. 7.22. and calles the whore a deepe ditch & a narrow pit, Prou. 23.27. And they that enter in to her, hardly returne againe to take hold of the way of life, Prou. 2.19. And in the latter end when iudgement shall bring his sinne to the doore of his conscience, he shall wonder at himselfe and say, O now was I deceiued! Prou. 5.12.

I conclude the point with that of S. Hierome, O ignis in­fernalis luxuria, cuius materia gula, &c. Hier. Where he compa­reth whoredome to the infernall fire, whose matter or nourishment are gluttony and drunkennesse, the flame is feruor cōcupiscentiae: Hos. 7.4. as an ouen heated by the baker, so is an adulterer; the sparkes are corrupt speeches and filthy com­munication, the smoke infamy and disgrace, the acts a­dulterie, fornication, vncleannesse, and the end hell tor­ments.

Drunkennesse and whoredome, with other the odious sinnes of these latter and dangerous times, these are they which haue kissed each other, which go hand in hand, and [Page 49]haue made a couenanc with destruction, and sworne a league with hell, for the subuersion both of Church and Commonwealth. O that I had the voice of men and an­gels, to crie against them: if my tongue were dipped in gal, yet could I not sufficiently not bitterly enough inuey a­gainst them. If there be any thing in death or hell more miserable, their tongues shall taste thereof, and their bow­els shall be filled with the dregs thereof: woe vpon woe shall light vpon them; and though the Sunne and Moone haue an end, yet their plagues and torments shall neuer haue end. hearken, and stand in awe, and tremble before the Lord your God, yemen of Israel: how long and how loud haue we cried against these foule offences, and yet who hath beleeued our report? or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? Surely if our words take no deeper im­pression, it resteth that you second our words with the sword of iustice. And to the Honorable and Worshipfull of this assembly be it spoken, to whom God hath impar­ted his own Name, (for ye are called Gods) that you ioyne your helping hands to pull downe these shops of iniquitie, and to stop and dam vp these stinking wels of filthinesse: for if you spare, and beare the sword in vaine, the people shall die in their sinnes, but God shall require their bloud at your hands. Neither may I forget to giue some of the worthiest and most honorable in this assembly their due, for the good and godly zeale they haue shewed for the lord our God on this behalfe, the fame whereof hath spread it selfe into all corners of the land, and it doth make glad the Citie of God. I meane in punishing and purging these two forenamed vices, to wit, drunkennesse and whoredome, together with the profanation of the Sab both: may you go on like good Nehemiahs, to do worthi­ly in Ephrata, and be famous in Bethlem, and the Lord strengthen your hearts: and as you labour the peace of Ie­rusalem, so let your dayes be multiplied in peace, and bind vp their soules, O Lord, in the bundle of life. All that I [Page 50]haue further to say to you the Magistracie of this honora­ble Assembly, touching this point, is the charge of God himselfe to his seruant Ioshua; Onely be strong, and of a vali­ant courage, to fight the Lords battels, to cut downe sinne, to roote it out: and as you haue begun in the Lord, so let your zeale abound, and be not faint hearted in so good a cause, and behold God shall neither leaue you nor forsake you, till you haue in some measure purged and cleansed this Citie from filthinesse.

And for you, my brethren, let my conclusion of this point turne to you all here present, and you to turne to the Lord your God: o turne you, turne you, for why will you die ye men of Israeli consider your sinnes are great and grie­uous, they are the prouocation of heauen, and strike at the maiestie of God; say therefore with S. Peter, It is enough for me that I haue spent the times past in surfetting and drunkennesse, in couetousnes and idlenesse; other things, nay better things are now required of me, namely that I liue, not after the Iusts of the flesh, but after the will of God. Thus cleanse, yea and your selues, yea and cleanse your selues from filthinesse, yea and that from all filthinesse, and that is the fourth part and passage of my text, viz. the generalitie and difficultie of the taske. The genera­litie or diffi­cultie of the taske.

All filthinesse] The Apostle dehorring from sinne, de­horteth from all sinne; not onely from filthinesse indefi­nite, lest sinne should haue a starting hole, but all filthinesse vniuersaliter, that no sinne should escape: whence note,

None must content themselues with the beginnings of mortification. For as Moses once spake in the case of their departure out of Aegypt, With our yong and with our olde will we go, we will not leaue one hoofe behind: Exod. 10 9. so is it euer most true in our departure out of the captiuitie of sin, we must not leaue one sinne vnsearched, not an euill thought must be spared; for whosoeuer shall faile in one point of the law, is guiltie of all, Iam. 2. 10. And againe, Whosoeuer breaketh the least of these commandements, the same shall be called the least [Page 51]in the kingdome of heauen. Act. 26.28. King Agrippa therefore in reli­gion was like a meteor in the aire, betwixt heauen and earth; and so are all that haue a deuided heart, like the pi­cture of Ianus, which looked forward and backward; euen so are they halfe, and almost, and halting Christians. But as no defectiue person was to serue at Gods altar, no more shall any halting professor come in his presence. The point is, All filthinesse must be cleansed. Which was mystically signified in the law, where Moses was commanded to cut the haire of the Leaper, supercilia & cilia, not an haire of sinne must be left. The Holocausts, whether they were bo­ues, oues, or aues, were wholy consumed; to teach vs, that whatsoeuer we do in Gods seruice, must be done wholy. So Saint Paul bids vs Put on [...], the whole ar­mour of God: for we must leaue no part vnarmed. Ephes. 6. And Christ faith, Take my yoke vpon you: Mat. 12.29. one would thinke that the yoke was onely for the necke; but his yoke must we take on euery part. God would haue vs powre out our hearts like water; now water leaueth no sauour, nor co­lour, nor drosse behind, as other licours do: so must we cleanse our selues, euen from all appearance of finne. If we cleanse the Temple, let vs not leaue the Altar behind; kill both Amalek and all his cattell; spare not one corrupt af­fection, not the least sinne, no not in the egge. The Pro­phet speakes of a cake baked on the harth, Hos. 7. panis subcine­ritius, baked on the one side, but dough on the other; luke­warme Christians, which halt twixt God and Belial: a lit­tle warme, that they may serue God, and a little warme to serue the world. But the Wise man sets downe the wish of God, Fili mi, &c. My sonne, giue me thy heart: non per commutationem, nec per venditionem, sed per donationem. Prou. 23. Some lend their heart to God, vntil they see a greater ad­uantage; some sell their heart to God for a reward, and God must serue them first. But wee must giue our heart freely, and with a willing minde; our whole heart must we giue, and that continually, Deut 6.5. Vae duplici [Page 52]cordi, saith Saint Austen. They dissemble with a double heart, saith the Psalmist. Psal. 12. But this I say, Cor diuisum moritur, A di­uided heart is a dead heart. Et qui diuidunt partem diabolo, & partem Deo, iratus Deus à sua parte discedit, & diabolus totum possidet: and therefore giue God all, or thou giuest him nothing at all, yea and do it continually: non Deo in iu­uentute, & diabolo in senectute, like the foolish Galathians, which began in the spirit, Gal. 3. but would end in the flesh. In a word, we may giue our knowledge to the ignorant, our goods to the poore, our taxes to Ceesar, but our hearts on­ly to God, freely and wholy.

Because that as one flie corrupteth the whole boxe of ointment, Reason. so one sinne makes vs liable to condemnation. The Apostle therefore speakes of sinne in singular, Rom. 6.23. Stipen­dium peccati, The wages of sinne, not of many, but of any sin is death. And if we should suffer so many deaths as we haue committed sinnes, yet were Gods iudgements iust and right. A ship is endangered by one leake in the side, and a citie surprised by one breach in the wall; and a fowler cat­cheth the bird as well by one part as the whole bodie. So sinne is like leauen, and a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe: Gal. 5.9. 2. King. 2. one Coloquintida brought death into the pot, and one dead worke of darknesse destroyeth the soule.

Vse. It serueth to condemne the halting profession of our dissembling age; wherein many will be content to leaue some sinnes, 1. Sam. 1 5.9. but keepe others: as Saul spared Agag and the fatlings; and as Herod spared his lust and vnlawfull marriage. Mat. 6.12. Ananias and Saphira were willing to bring a part to the Apostles, but they were loth to bring all. The yong man in the Gospel would follow Christ, but he was loth to sell all; so that this word (all) marres all. Euery man would go to heauen with his darling. The couetous would go with his gold; the vicious with his harlots; the ambitious with his braue attire, &c. But touch the world in these their profitable, pleasant, darling and bosome sinnes, and you shall heare men speake as in the house of Rimmon, like Naa­man [Page 53]the Assyrian, God be mercifull to me in this. 2. King. 5. Preach to the vsurer or oppressour, That he which doth not prouide for his owne familie is worse then an infidel, or against prodigality or suretiship, and your word shall be as the first and latter raine, and sinke deepe into his romembrance; but turne him to Psal. 15. where no vsurer shall rest in Gods holy hill. or 1. Cor 6. where no extortioner shall enter into the kingdome of heauen; or to Saint Matthew concerning workes of mercie, or to Saint Luke against couetousnesse: and you shall finde him eared like the deafe adder, and his heart harder then the nether milstone, But it is written, If thy right eye offend thee, that is, Math. 5. if thy sinne be as deare vn­to thee as the apple of thine eye, yet pull it out, and let not thine eye spare it; or if thy right hand offend thee, that is, if thy sinne be as profitable and commodious as thy hand whereby thou gettest thy liuing, yet cut it off and cast it from thee: or if thy foote offend thee to cause thee to sin, that is, if thy sinne be so necessary as thy foote wherewith thou bearest thy selfe, yet spare it not: For it is better to enter into the kingdome of God, blinde, and lame, and maimed, then otherwise to be cast into hellfire. For one sinne in the soule is like a serpent in the bosome, cast it from you, or it will sting you to death: and as Dalila neuer left fawning and flattering Sampson till she made him a mill horse to the Philistimes; so your sinne if you trust it, will betray you to the diuel, and he will send you with such a grist to grinde, that you shall pay your soule for the tole. As therefore it is said of Iob. 1. that he was integer & rectus, and so must we be, integri, sound and not hollow, and recti, straight and not crooked; and so are all good men, and euery good worke both within and without. And to this purpose ought we to set God alwaies before our eies: 1. 2. 3. 4. Eph. 6.6. and to think vpon iudgement and our account: and to consider that eye seruice is nothing pleasing to God: and to remember that as Christ gaue his heart bloud for vs, so as (Saint Ber­nard saith) Iustè cor nostrum vendicat quisuum pro nobis dedit; [Page 54]He (I say) hath redeemed vs, and therefore ought we to cleanse our hearts from all sinne, and giue all to his ser­uice. This is the point which I aime at, viz. the triall of out integrity, when a man can say with good conscience, as Psal. 139. Try me O God, and know my heart, proue me and knew my thoughts, and consider if there be any way of wicked­nesse in me; or at the least as it is Psal. 7.3. if there be any wic­kednesse in my hands. Surely (brethren) I say to you that are the elect of God, Let vs thus examine our owne hearts vpon our beds, Psal. 4. and in our chambers secretly, and cleanse our selues from all filthinesse: All filthinesse (I say) both of the flesh and spirit, which is the last passage of this point, viz. The speciality of the parts and powers infected.

5. 5. The speciality of the parts and powers infected. Of the flesh and spirit] There was a law in Rome, De purgandis fontibus, and it holds good in Scripture, where we must purge our hearts, which is fons vitoa, tam naturalis quàm spiritualis; and in purging of our heart we must cleanse our bodies, yea and our soules also from all filthi­nesse of the flesh and spirit: whence note,

Doct. We must mortifie our bodies, and mortifie our soules, and so giue the whole to Gods seruice, Rom. 12.1. I be­seech you (brethren) by the mercies God that you giue vp your bodies and soules a liuing sacrifice, &c. In stead of the bodies of dead beasts, we must giue our bodies a liuing sacrifice, and in stead of the bloud of beasts which was a shadow, and pleased not God of it selfe, we must giue vp the ac­ceptable sacrifice of the soule; and this is iuge sacrificium, viz. a perpetuall mortifying of the will, reason, affections and members: Atque haec obedientia non potest plus dare, dedit enim se. And therefore must we mortifie both, that we may sanctifie him both in body and soule; not onely say­ing in the outward organe of speech: My soule praise thou the Lord, Psal, 103.1. but body and soule, flesh and spirit, must ioyne their forces as well tuned Cymbals, Praise thou the Lord ô my soule, & al that is within me, praise his holy name.

Reason. Because God created both. He hath made vs and not we [Page 55]our selues, Psal. 100. And therefore are we due vnto his ser­uice. Totum fecit (saith Augustine) & totum exigit: August. He made all, and therefore will he haue all, not a peece of thy heart, nor a roome in the heart, but thy whole heart; not a member of thy body or some parts of thy body, but the whole man: Redde Caesari qua Caesaris sunt; Math. 22, 21. giue him I say the whole, for it is due vnto him. The whole body morti­fied from sinne, and thy whole heart purged by faith ba­thed in the bloud of the Lambe, and cleansed by the fire of the spirit: Not an old heart, nor a corrupt heart, but a new heart and a new spirit, for which the Prophet Dauid begged: Create in me a new heart O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me, Psal. 51.10.

Vse. 1 1. This teacheth vs, that sinne is there to be rooted our where it had beginning, which is from the heart; For out of the heart proceede thefts, adulteries, murders, &c. Out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh, Math. 15 19. Math. 12.34. the hand wor­k [...]th, the foote walketh; and therefore saith Ieremy. 4. Wash thine heart (ô Ierusalem) from all wickednesse. The Prophet findeth not fault so much that euill thoughts came in, but that they stayed there: A foolish heart therefore is com­pared to the axle tree in the wheele, which continually turneth, and yet staieth in the wheele: so the thoughts of an euill heart are not expelled but turned ouer; therefore the onely meanes to cleanse our bodies is to cleanse our hearts; and the onely meanes to cleanse our hearts, is to let the feare of God keepe the doore of our hearts. Let vs therefore consider, 1 Quid amisimus, viz. our owne free­dome. 2 Cui offendimus, God our maker; 3 Et quò tendimus,to hell and damnation. Let vs cleanse therefore our flesh and spirit, 1 frequentieiectione of euill thoughts receiued, 2 di­ligenti euitatione of all enticements, 3 & sedula repressione of all carnall concupiscence. And we must do it speedily; for if a garment be stained it will easily be cleansed, if it be washed presently, a coale will not burne if thou hold it not too long: therefore we should learne wisedome of the [Page 56]worldly, who in their generation are wiser then the chil­dren of light; who if any flouds or inundations are likely to endanger their lands or houses, they vse all meanes to turne the current of the streames another way: and so should we turne the current of our flesh and spirit moo­uing vs to euill, orando, meditando, laborando, semper aliquid bone operando, it a vt diabolus cum veniat, iuuentat nos semper occupatos: Either by thinking vpon the passion of Christ, or of the ioyes of heauen, or of the paines of hell, or in the performance of the duties of our callings, or in powring out our prayers vnto God, alwaies labouring good, and these will turne the current of our hearts another way.

2 2. If we must cleanse our bodies and soules, and giue both to Gods seruice, what shall I say them of the Papists who will serue the Lord onely in their bodily exercises? their beade-prayers, & worship in an vnknown tong, their knocking, kneeling, crossing, creeping, crouching, tur­nings, lifting vp and letting downe their blockish Roode, and kissing their painted Paxe, their holy water sprinkling, their going on pilgrimage bare footed and bare legged, their whipping themselues on Saints eues, and such their superstitious fooleries, are meerely outward exercises, which as concerning the flesh haue a shew of holinesse in voluntary religion and not sparing of the flesh, but haue no such power, Colos. 2.23. For bodily exercise profiteth no­thing. 1. Tim. 4.8.

3 3. Esa. 29.13. With these may I ranke the hypocrits of our times which serue the Lord in shew and not in truth, which draw neare to God with their mouthes, but their hearts are farre from him: such are the knee-praiers and lip-la­bours of our time-seruing hearers, which outwardly pro­fesse Christ, but inwardly Belial; Christians onely in name, Saints onely in shew: of which Saint Bernard speakes. Multi sunt oues habitu, vulpes actu, crudelitate lupi. Bernard. Sheepe in shew, foxes in deede, and wolues in cruelty: for an hy­pocrite hath, vulpem in cerebro, miluum in manu, & lupum in [Page 57]corde; a foxe in his braine, a kite in his hand, and a wolfe in his heart. A foxe in his braine, subtill and crafty to in­snare, and then he hath miluum in manu, a kite in his fist to hold fast; and when he hath caught hold, he hath lupum in corde, a wolfe in his heart to deuoure. And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith, Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes cloathing, but inwardly are rauening wolues: Math. 7.16.17which in painted boxes hide deadly poysons, in beautifull Sepulchers rotten bones, and vnder Iezabels painted face a whores behauiour; and therefore our Sauiour calleth them serpents, and viperous serpents, O ye viperous ser­pents, ye generation of vipers, how shall you escape the dam­nation to come? Math. 23.33. And to shew the certaintie of their damnation, beside the manifold woes which Christ denounceth against them, it is said, that wicked men shall haue their portion with hypocrites; Math. 24.51. to shew that the condem­nation of hypocrites is most surely sealed. Let me there­fore vse that counsell of Chrysostome, Hypocrita, aut esto quod appares, aut appare quodes, Either be as thou seemest, or appeare as thou art: for simulata sanctitas est duplex ini­quitas, Counterfet pietie is double impietie; first because it is impietie. and then because it is counterfet, making truth falshood, and God a liar. But as it is said, Rom. 2. Non audi­tores sed factores legis; not the hearers of the law, but the doers of the law shall be iustified. So of religion, Non eandem profi­tentes, sed eidem obedientes: not professors, but performers shall be glorified. Let vs not therefore be like the fig tree which our Sauiour cursed, that had leaues in abundance, Math. 21. but no fruite at all: for it is not the lifting vp of our eyes, nor the knocking of our breasts, nor the holding vp of our hands which shall stand vs in stead in the latter day; but the wounded soule, the sinceritie of the heart, Psal. 5 1.17. the contrite spirit ioyned with our outward obseruance and obedience which shal administer true ioy in the latter end. And there­fore let vs, as the elect of God, holy and beloued, let vs (I say) professe with our mouthes, and practise with our [Page 58]liues; let vs sing in voice and with the spirit also, let vs re­pent in life and sow in teares; let vs cleanse the flesh that we may be mortified, and cleanse our spirit, so shall we be glorified. And of the former generall part of my text, viz. the worke of mortification, thus farre. Now followeth the other, viz. viuification. And grow vp, &c. Where before we further passe, consider with me a little this copulatiue particle (And.)

And] I his word standeth as a bridge in the passages of my text, may it please you to stand vpon it a little, and looke both wayes, you shall obserue the Apostles order; whose order is, first dehorting from sinne, and then ex­horting to holinesse: first killing the old man with the fil thy workes of darknesse, and then raising the new man, which according to God is created in holinesse and righ­teousnesse. First Cleanse your selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit; and then grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God; whence obserue.

Sinne must be rooted out before holinesse can be plan­ted in. Doctr. For Sarah can haue no contented peace so long as there is an Hagar in the house or family; and therefore saith the Scripture, Cast out the bond woman, viz. sinne, and let not thine eye spare her, though she hath had fauour of the flesh and spirit, yet make a cleane riddance, and leaue not a brat or rag of her behind. Psal. 34. 14. Isa. 1. First ceasse to do euill (saith Dauid) then learne to do well. Eschue euill (saith Isaiah) and then do good. First we must die vnto sinne and then liue vn­to righteousnesse; for viuendo morimur, & moriendo viui­mus, in liuing we must die, and dying we shall for euer hue. Ambrose. And therefore Saint Ambrose inuerteth that saying of the preacher, Eccles. 2. There is a time to line, and a time to die: nay rather (saith he) there is time to die, and a time to liue. Leo. Et melius est mori Christo (saith Leo) qui mortuos e­rigit, qràm viuere diabolo quistantes deprimit: Better to die to Christ which raiseth the dead, then to liue in sinne which destroyes the liuing.

1. Reason 1. Math. 9.17. Ab incommodo; because no man putteth new wine into old vessels, for the vessels breake, and the wine is lost, but new wine must be put into new vessels, that both may be preserued; no more can the word of Gods grace take effect, or newnesse of life be begun in the old vessels of sinne. Luk 8.14. For as the thornie cares of the world do choake the word; so to the wicked Iew and Grecian, and man of sinne, the grace of God is a stumbling blocke, blindnesse and foolishnesse; and to of­fer his promised graces and fauours vnto such, is but to cast pearles before swine, or to giue holy things vnto dogges.

2. 2. 2. Cor. 6.15. Ab impossibili: because two contraries cannot at once agree in one subiect: and What fellowship hath light with darknesse, or Christ with Belial? The altar of the heart there­fore must first be cleansed, before the sacrifice of righte­ousnesse be offered; the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse must be purged out, before that holinesse can be plan­ted in. Vse.

This serues for the condemnation of those which think to attaine grace sufficient, yea and glorie also, although they cleanse not themselues from sinne: but these are those foolish builders which would build the house of holinesse without a foundation, and ioyne the same together with the vntempered morter of iniquitie; but the grace of God pertaines not to such, neither haue they part in the pro­mises: yea in this state of sinne, they are altogether exclu­ded from the kingdome; for it is written euen of the best, which doth otherwise best approue himselfe, Luk. 13.3. Except you repent, you shall all perish. So that sinne so long as it reignes or remaines in a man not repented of, it is the barre of Gods grace and our owne saluation. We reade of him which came to offer his gift, Mat. 5.23. that he was sent backe first to purge the altar of his heart from the leauen of malice and strife. And it is most true of any person, so long as he con­tinues in any sinne not repented of and cast out, his ser­uice is not acceptable, but his prayers are abhominable. [Page 60]Nay suppose further, that he hath done many good works (as the wicked shall one day p [...]eade, In thy name haue we prophesied, and through thy name cast out diuels,) yet if he commit iniquitie, all his righteousnesse that he hath done, shall not be mentioned, Ezech. 18.24. but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in the sinne that he hath sinned he shall die. In the transition of the points of my text therefore, let me exhort you in the name of Christ, and the words of the ho­ly Ghost, as it is written, Ezech. 18.30. Returne therefore, and cause others to turne from all your transgressions, and so ini­quitie shall not be your destruction: cast away all your trans­gressions whereby you haue transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit, that holinesse may be planted in: for why will you die, O house of Israel? It followeth,

Grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God.] Which part of the conclusion, I haue formerly viewed vnder three heads.

• 1 1. The growth (Growvp)
• 2 2. The perfection (to fall holinesse.)
• 3 3. The measure or rule to maintaine and preserue godli­nes, viz. (in the feare of God.)

1. Grow vp.] After mortification, hauing once cleansed our selues, we must not stay there, as Israel at the foote of the hill, Exod. 19. but with Moses ascend into the mount of God, and increase in holinesse: whence note,

Doctr. Such as are mortified to sinne, must rise a gaine: as impes transplanted out of the common of this world into the E­den of God. Psal. 1. So Saint Peter wils to grow vp, 2. Pet. 3.18. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. The poesie of Apelles, was, Nulla dies sine linea: and I subscribe, Nullalinea sine linea: No day without a line, and no line seene or read, without some fruite. Titus the Emperour was wont to say of a day that passed him without some good, Perdidi diem; to teach vs, that all time is not time to vs, which is not lent to this seruice. In the old law, the ser­uant which after seuen yeares seruice would abide with his maister, Exod. 21.6. he was to bore a hole through his eare, and [Page 61]naile him to the post of his doore. As the maister dealt with his seruant, so must we deale with our selues, viz. bore an hole through (not our eare, but) our heart, and naile that to the house of holinesse. God in the beginning saith, The euening and the morning was the first day, Gen. 1. and so of the rest; but of the Sabboth there is no mention made either of morning or euening; to teach that our seruice to God must be without euening, viz. without ending; and so must be our growth in godlinesse. The kingdome of God is compared to a graine of mustard-seed, Math. 13. which is first an herbe, then the greatest of herbes, then a tree, and lastly hath boughes and branches, wherein the fowles of heauen make their neasts. And so the kingdome of hea­uen is oft compared to things increasing, to teach our growth and progresse in weldoing, if we haue faith to confirme it, (Lord I beleeue, helpe my vnbeleefe;) Mar. 9.24. Luk. 7.47. Psal. 129.139. if loue to increase it, (Many sinnes are forgiuen her for she loued much:) if zeale to enkindle it (The zeale of thy house hath euen eaten me vp.) And as God hath begun and continued a chaine of his high fauours towards vs, in predestinating, calling, Rom. 8.30. iustifying, sanctifying, and glorifying his Church: so let vs encounter his loue with all diligence, ioyning to our vertue faith. to faith knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, to patience godlinesse, to godlinesse brother­ly kindnesse, to brotherly kindnesse loue. 2 Pet. 1.5.6. And thus by ioyning together the linkes of this golden chaine of his graces, we must grow vp from grace to grace.

Reason. 1. Because we are as new borne babes, and as a building begun. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that you may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2.2. Now as babes which are not fed do perish, and as a building begun and not fol­lowed, comes to nothing; it is euen so in the nursing and building of the inward man.

2 2. Because we haue tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and therefore if we proceede not in well doing, we crucifie the Lord anew vnto [Page 62]our selues, and make a mocke of his fauours. Heb. 6.6.

Vse. 1 1. This serueth for the examination and condemnation of those which the world calls harmelesse men, who haue set vp their pride in this: viz. To do no harme: But he which proceeds no further, is as one that hauing a long iourney to trauell, doth pitch downe his rest in the midst of the way: but as the Israelits that staied and died in the desert, they saw not the land of Canaan, no more shall any such see the saluation of God; for the breach of the law is not onely commission, but omission, and the wages of sinne is death, and omission of duty is commission of iniquitie. This I say, that he which endeuoureth an harmelesse life, to deale vprightly and iustly, and not to defraud or wrong his brother, this man is in the way to the king dome of heauen; but if thou wilt be perfect, Hoc vnum re­stat; do well, and endeauour thy selfe to euery good work: and thus we must grow in grace that we may attaine to ful holinesse: and that is the perfection of our worke, and the part that now ensueth.

To full holinesse] The Apostle would haue vs like the wise builder in the Gospel, who gaue not ouer his worke till he brought it to perfection: we must grow, to [full ho­linesse] from whence obserue.

2 No man must content himselfe with the beginnings of viuification, but endeauour perfection. The Israelits ga­thered Manna euery day but vpon the Saboath day, to teach vs and teach thē, that vntil that euerlasting Saboath of rest, where we shall be glorified bodies and soules, we must neuer stand still in our Christian growth. But as the waters spoken of in Ezechiel, grew vp by degrees, first to the ankles, then to the knees, then to the loynes, and last­ly to the head; and as the wheate our Sauiour spoke of, grew vp by degrees, first there was the blade, thē came the stalke, after that the full corne, but lastly came the har­uest: euen so like that water we must grow higher and higher til we come to our head Christ, and like that corne [Page 63]riper and riper vntill the end of the world when the Lord shall winnow the chaffe from the wheate, the wheate he shall receiue into his garner, but the chaffe to be burnt vp with vnquenchable fire. Thus we must grow vnto full holinesse. Mat. 2.9. For as the starre which directed the wise men in their search, ceassed not till it came to the place where Christ was, and there it stayed; so must we not stay in the course of holinesse till we come to heauen where God is. And as the kine of the Philistims which drew the Arke of God, 1. Sam. 6. though they were milch and had calues at home, the one to weaken them, the other to withdraw them, yet without turning to the right hand or left, they kept on their way till they came to Bethshemesh: so ha­uing once ioyned our selues to the yoake of Christ, and bearing the arke of his law vpon our shoulders in the way of a vertuous life, though we haue many hindrances, wordly allurements, the diuels temptations, and our owne sinfull prouocations, yet must we keepe on the way of ho­linesse to perfection: and so the apostle exhorteth, Phil. 3. Let vs as many as be perfect be thus mindid; Luk. 1. like Zachary and Elizabeth, of whom Saint Luke reporteth that they were both righteous befor God, walking in all the com­mandements and iustifications of the Lord without re­buke: that is, without iust exception to be taken against them. yet to dreame of an absolute and Angelicall per­fection in a mortall man, was the errour of the Pelagian heretikes: but our perfection is in part, not wholly, in re­spect, not absolute: or perfect we may be said towards men, but not in relation to God. There is also a perfection by way of comparison with others; and so, optimus ille est qui minimis vrgetur; he is the most perfect man which hath the fewest faults. Yea and further there is a perfection of holinesse, secundùm huius vitae modum, according to the measure and proportion of this life; and this perfection euery good man must haue. Saint Paule describes it thus, Phil. 3.3. I account not my selfe that I haue attained perfection, [Page 64]but one thing I do, I forget that which is behind, and endeauour my selfe to that which is before, and follow hard toward the marke, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus: So that this is the point. We must resolue, endeauour, contend, and striue for perfection as for a prize, euer be adding grace, till we are in some sort according to the capacity of our humane nature perfect men in Christ Ie sus: and to this our Sauiour exhorts. Beye perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect. Math. 5.48. neither must we de­sist till we come to full holinesse.

Reason. Because non progreds est regredi: and our life is like the tumbling of a bowle vp an high hil, which if it be throwne part of the way, or halfe or more, it returneth againe; but if it be throwne to the top, there it resteth: so the hauen of holinesse it is Olympus an high hill, which we must climbe to the top; for to sticke or stay in the midst is but lost la­bour. Againe our life is as a Boate rowed against the streame, where if the rowers stay, it goeth backeward of it selfe: so in the worke of holinesse we striue against the streame of our affections, and if we desist or be slacke in weldoing, they draw vs backe to cuill.

Vse. 1 1. To teach vs the danger of apostacy as of those which fall from their holinesse; which begin with Peter and end with Iudas, hauing entred the couenant of grace they fall away like vntimely fruites, trees that are twise dead and plucked vp by the roots, Iude v.12. whose end is to be burned; which turne to their old bias of iniquitie as the dog to his vo­mite, and as the sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire. Gen. 19.29. Lots wife for this we know was turned into a pillar of salt, and set vp in example to season others; and that we forget not, our Sauiour sets a memento before her name: Remember Lots wife. Luk. 17. 31. for as it was with her, Vbirespexit ibiremansit, where she looked backe there she stood: so no man putting his hand to the plough of holinesse and looketh backe, is fit for the kingdome of God. Saint Paul giueth the reason, which who so consi­dereth [Page 65]in heart, it will cause the heart-strings to ake, and the bones to quake for feare. It is impossible (saith he) that they which were once enlightened, and haue tasted of the hea­uenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost, and haue tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, that they should be renewed againe by re­pentance. Heb. 6.4.5. For they after they haue escaped the fil. thinesse of the world (saith Saint Peter, 2. Pet. 2.20.) through the knowledge of the Lord lesus Christ, and are againe intan­gled therein, and ouercome, the latter end is worse then the be­ginning: for it had bene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse, then after they haue knowne it, to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them.

2 2. It serueth to condemne our standing still, our dulnesse and slacknesse in the pursuite of holinesse. A miserie it is to see how the men of this our age are fallen from their stedfastnesse, from zeale to coldnesse. For where is that dis­cipline in manners, zeale to the word, hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, which doth become and adorne the Gospell of Christ? May I not speake in generall, and your consciences beare me witnesse, Reu 2.4. that (as the Church of E­phesus was charged, so) you are become changelings, and haue forsaken your first loue? And what should I name in particular, that stedfastnesse in faith, modestie in words, that vprightnesse in actions, mercie in workes, that disci­pline in manners, loue and vnitie among brethren, which in the primitiue Church was the glorie of the first Christi­ans? Yea and brethren, I must tell you, that you did runne well, and what should turne you out of the way of holi­nesse, that you should haue an euill heart to depart from the liuing God? This you know of a suretie, that to him that striueth and contendeth, to him is the kingdome gi­uen. The kingdome of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. To him that ouercometh, to him will I giue the crowne of life, Math. 11.12. Reu. 2.17. Math. 24 13. Reuel 2.17. And againe, He that endureth to the end, he (and he onely) shall be saued. And of full holinesse [Page 66]we haue thus farre heard and spoken. And now followeth the measure thereof, viz. in the feare of God.

in the feare of God.] This last part of my text and labour, sets downe, 1. the measure of our holinesse, viz. (in feare,) and 2. the obiect of this feare, viz. God.

For the former, I finde by obseruation generally three kinds of feare, a naturall feare, a foolish feare, and a feare of God: the two former I finde not in my text, neither will the time giue me leaue to seeke them out. But for the last, I finde it generally to be of two forts: the feare of God, it is either seruile or filiall: the obiect of the for­mer, is Gods iudgement; but the ground of the latter, are the effects of his loue and mercie: and both these in a dif­ferent maner, are the measure and foundation of holinesse. And looke what difference is betwixt a seruant and a son, they feare to offend, the one for punishment, the other for loue: so howsoeuer good men loue God, euen of zeale vnto his glorie, yet it is not amisse to be restrained from sinne euen for feare of iudgement. It is best (saith Augustine) to be a sonne, yet better to be a seruant then an enemie. Si non potes propter amorem iustitiae, fac propter timorem poenae. The affection of an enemie is hatred, of a seruant, is the rod of punishment; but of a sonne, is loue and reuerence. And accordingly I find three sorts of feare: the first of which is meerly slauish, lumpish, vnprofitable and dogged kind of feare, full of hatred and diuellish de­spite, and indeed the feare of diuels and reprobate spirits, which findes no mercie because it seekes no mercie. And the diuels do thus beiecue and tremble.

But there is a feare of Gods righteous iudgements, which euen in good men hath a good effect; for it restrai­neth from impietie. Et maxima est poena timorem amisisse poe­nae. Bernard. I considered my wayes, Psal. 119.59. (saith Dauid) and so I tur­ned my feete vnto thy testimonies. For who so considereth his wayes, shall find his wants; and withall remembring the terrour of Gods iudgements, and the necessitie of his iu­stice [Page 67]to punish, yea and to punish according to the nature of offence, it will daunt and terrifie the heart of any from offending, if it be not past feeling. And this is that which Augustine hath to like purpose: Atimore tenera conscientia, à tenera conscientia bona vita, hinc decrescit timor seruitutis, at­que inde dulcescit Deus peccanti: and thus the feare of Gods righteous iudgements is to good purpose; for it is a bridle to restraine from finne, and a step to beget the third, which is the filiall feare of loue.

But Saint Iohn saith, Perfect loue casts out feare, 1. Ioh. 4.18. viz. this seruile feare, and begets another, borne of the free Spirit, Psal. 51. viz. this filiall feare, the feare and reuerence of a sonne to a louing father. Of this the Pro­phet speaketh, There is mercie with thee, O Lord, therefore shalt thou be feared. And this is that of which Saint Luke speaketh, We must serue God without feare, Luk. 1. Luk. 1.74. And Saint Paul makes it more plaine, Rom. 8. not in the spirit of bondage for feare of punishment, but in the spirit of adop­tion and freedome, euen of zeale vnto his glorie. And this is the best and most excellent way of feare, which I do take to be the principall aime and intendment of my text. And so to bring this feare backe to my text, and my text home to your selues. First because we must grow to full holinesse in feare, obserue,

Doctr. All our holinesse must be perfected in feare. For as I haue formerly noted, the greatest perfection of our holi­nesse hath in it many imperfections. According to the measure and proportion of this life, so is our holinesse, and no otherwise: yea and the least part doth not consist in this, to know and confesse our wants. Saint Paul wil there­fore haue vs to workeout our owne saluation in feare and trem­bling: Phil. 2. and Saint Peter, to Passe the time of our mortall pilgri­mage in feare. Our estate is neuer secure of danger; for the Angels, though in heauen, yet thence did they fall. Iude. Gen. 3. Math. 4. Adam and Eue, though in Paradise, yet there tempted and ouercome. Our Sauiour in the vaste and wilde desert, yet [Page 68]there the diuell finds him. And the Saints of God, though in the bosome of the Church, Psal. 105. yet they haue had many foule slips and falls; and therefore our holinesse must be perfected in feare.

Secondly, seeing that the feare of loue, and not of pu­nishment, is the truest measure of our perfection, obserue,

Note. We must grow to full holinesse, euen of zeale to Gods glorie, and goodnesse must be loued for it selfe. oderunt peccare mali for midine poenae: To do well for feare of punish­ment, is but an asses vertue. And herein is the triall of a perfect heart, if a man can ioy in holinesse conscionably, though it come alone, yea though accompanied with many miseries. Singular is the example of Dauid to this purpose, Psal. 119 126. Psalm. 119. It is time for thee (O Lord) to lay to thine hand, for men haue destroyed thy law: therefore (saith he, euen for the loue and zeale that I haue to holinesse and Gods glorie, therefore I say) loue I thy command: ments aboue gold: and all false wayes do I vtterly abhorre. This is the point; our perfection consists in this, if we can be content to embrace holinesse, euen for it selfe, and for reuerence to our hea­uenly Father. By which it may appeare, that feare, and the feare of loue, is the measure and perfection of our holi­nesse.

Reason. 1 1. Because of the danger that may befall vs for want of this feare, viz. lest hereby we fall from our constancie, and so for want of perseuerance do hazard our saluation. The diuell is a cunning and diligent aduersarie, Luk. 11.24. ready to take adnantage vpon euery occasion; and if he find the house swept and garnished, and no resistance be made, he en­treth in and dwelleth there, and the end of that man is worse then the beginning: and therefore we ought at all times and in all things to walke circumspectly and in feare. Eph. 5.15.

2 2. For feare of giuing offence to others: and by our halting or standing still, we wound the weake hands and feeeble knees of the brethren, and so become partakers of their sinnes. Praeceptamonent, exempla mouent: yea know, [Page 69]that examples in sinne do draw multitudes to offend; and therefore we ought to feare our selues, euen for the good of others.

3 3. Lest that by our securitie and standing still, the ene­mie be comforted, and haue cause to blaspheme; and the Angels of God and the Spirit of God be grieued within vs; who as they do reioyce for the conuersion of a sinner, so do they grieue at the falls of the righteous.

Vse. The vse of the point is to teach vs to beware of securi­tie, and to let the feare of God euermore keepe the doores of our hearts: the wants whereof doth breed in vs a num­nesse of soule, and doth much withstand the ordinance of God for our saluation. For when men come to this, that they are cold to holinesse; if they heare, so it is; if not, they feele no great want: if they receiue the Sacrament, they haue no great delight or ioy; or if they for beare, they feele no grieuance: and for other exercises of religion, they can be content to do them for ceremonious custome, but not for conscience and feeling. Such a secure and carelesse e­state as this, doth shew them to lie in some grosse sin pre­sently, or else are in danger to fall into some great trans­gression, or some grieuous punishment. But all the paths of the Lord are hedged about with feare, that we should not forget nor for sake the Lord at any time. Beleeue in God we cannot alwayes, and to reioyce is not alwayes present: faith is sometime faint, loue is little, ioy is sicke, hope is dead, and seeling fallen asleepe; but the feare of God, in a godly iealousie ouer our owne wayes, is the meanes to recouer all againe. Our sanctification is but in part. He that thinkes that he stands, let him take heed lest he fall: and Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes. Surely (brethren) it is a good thing through godly feare euer to get victorie of out infirmities, before they come to be ioyned with the sinnes of the world, to the griefe of the godly, the reproch of the wicked, the trouble of our owne consciences, or the hazard of Gods glorie. Thus [Page 70] the feare of God is the beginning of wisedome, Prou.1. yea and the perfection of holinesse is the feare of the Lord. heare the end of all: Feare God, and keepe his commandements. It is the Alpha and Omega of our holinesse, the measure and foundation of the same: and Blessed is the man that fea­reth the Lord, Psal. 112.

Of God] My text hath at last brought me to the end of our iourney, euen to God the Lord, who alone is to be feared. And seeing it is now high time to leaue you, here I will leaue you, for I cannot leaue you better then with God. Consider therefore a little the height of his Maiestie, the brightnesse of his glorie, the perfection of his good­nesse, the strength of his power, the excellency of his wise­dome, the eternitie of his being, the holinesse of his truth, the sweetnesse of his mercie, the blessednesse of his pre­sence, in whose sight there is length of dayes, and in his presence is fulnesse of ioy for euermore. Let his name be had in honour, from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe thereof. Againe, Oh Lord of hoasts, how excellent is thy name in all the world!

Againe, God is the feare of his Saints. For the strength of Israel, is a dreadfull God, clothed with vnspeakable ma­iestie as with a garment; and the splendor of his glorie is ten thousand times more bright then the Sunne in his greatest beautie: yea the beholding of his face is present death to a mortall man. The Angels tremble, the heauens melt away, the mountaines smoke, the sea is dried vp, and Iordan driuen backe, and the earth doth totter vpon the foundations at the sight thereof. The voice of the Lord is a glorious voice, and hath the preheminence, The voice of the Lord bringeth mightie things to passe. Heare, and feare, and tremble before the Lord your God, ye men of Israel.

In conclusion therefore, seeing we know that one and onely God, euer to be worshipped and feared, whose au­thoritie doth command, and power execute, and proui­dence gouerne vs and all things; let vs (as Henoch walked [Page 71]with God) so passe the time of our mortall pilgrimage in feare and holinesse, as if we walked in his presence, whose eye seeth all, and whose eare heareth all; alwayes remem­bring that his all-seeing eye, and all-hearing eare shall bring you and me, and vs all to iudgement. In the feare of God therefore let vs begin and so end all endeuours, to cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, and grow vp to full holinesse, that at the appearance of the Sonne of God to iudge the ends of the earth, we may be found faithfull seruants: and as we haue dealt truly in a little, so he may then make vs rulers ouer much, through the riches of his grace, who hath freely and formerly beloued vs, not for our owne sake, but because himselfe is loue, and takes delight in his owne goodnesse. To which God be ascribed all goodnesse, and glory, and mercy, and power, both now and for euer­more. Amen, Amen.