RIght Honourable, right Wor­shipfull, and most Christian and blessed brethren; perfecti­on is all in all. The onely thing in euery thing. But that which is vn­perfect, is like eyther the vntimely birth of a woman, or else the vntime­ly fruire of a tree. The one dying before it be borne, the other rotting [Page 2] before it be ripe. Therefore it is sayd of the lawe, He. 7. v. 19 That it made nothing perfect: but of the Gospell, Ih▪ 19. 13. that it is most perfect in it selfe. And of the tower of Babell, Lu. 14. 30. these men began well to build, yet could not perfect it: but of the frame of the world, Ge. 1. v. 1. thus the heauen and the earth were per­fectly finished, yea so perfectly, that euery thing since which hath had any little resemblance of this perfection, is sayd to be as perfect as God made the world. Now of all things in the world, man especially is borne, not to dye, as an vntimely birth, but to liue: and man liueth, not to rotte a­way as vntimely fruite, but to flou­rish for euer. Therefore we that doe not dye vnder the law, but liue vnder grace, Rom. 9. 14 must not be lyke the law, but like the Gospell: and we which shall not rotte away as the Tower of Babel, but flourish for euer, as the building of God, 1. Cor. 3. 9 must not be lyke the tower of Babell, but lyke the frame of the world; labouring continually to be perfect, as our heauenly Father is [Page 3] perfect. Mar. 5. 48. Labour, I say, we must: for as nothing is excellent, and easie both together; in lyke sort perfecti­on, though it be so excellent a thing, that it ought to be much desired, yet it is not so easie a thing, that it can be soone attayned. Therefore sayes the Apostle in the former verse, I do not thinke that I haue yet attayned to it. For, sayes Bernard: Quomodo proficis si, i [...] tibi su [...]icis? Howe canst thou possibly be a proficient, if thou thinke thy selfe already sufficient? The arke of the couenant was but a Cubit and a halfe high. Exo. 25. 10. i1. Ki. 7. 32 So likewise the wheeles of the Cauldron were but a Cubit and a halfe high. Nowe we know that a Cubite and a halfe is an vnperfect measure, which shewes that none in this life are perfectly per­fect. The verie highest are, as the Arke in Moyses tabernacle, or as the wheeles in Salomons temple, but a Cubite and a halfe high: [...]. perfect­ly vnperfect when they begin: vn­perfectly perfect when they end. Be­naiah was honourable among thirtie, but he attained not to the first three: [Page 4] 1. Sa. 3, 23. And so some one man may bee as perfect as thirtie, yea, as a thousand other men, and yet not attayne to the perfection of the blessed Trini­tie, which is the first three. Nay when we haue done the best we can, we are but vnprofitable Seruants Lu. 17. 10.. All our righteousnesse is as a stayned cloth Esa▪ 64. 5. Our greatest strength is confirmed in weakenesse 2. Cor. 12. 9.. VVe knowe but in part, not as wee are knowne 1. Cor. 13, 12., VVee walke by fayth, not by sight 2, Cor. 5. 7.. VVee behold as in a Glasse darkely, not face to face 1. Col. 13. 12.. So that the most perfect perfection wee can attayne to in this lyfe, is an humble acknowledging of that im­perfection which wee haue Est quaedā imperfecta perfectio, vt sciat homo se non esse per­fectum in hac vita. Primae­sius in Col. c. 1. in fine., and an earnest labouring for that perfec­tion which wee haue not [...]. Nyssenus [...]. in fine. VVee liue heere in that wee hope for lyfe Spes vitae immortali [...] est vita vitae mortalis. Au. in p. [...]03.: and we are perfect heere in that wee labour for perfection [...]. Oecume. in H [...]. c. 6.. Wher­fore as Salomon went vp sixe steps to come to hys great throne of Iuory Reg. 10. 19., so must wee ascend sixe degrees to come to this high toppe of perfec­tion. [Page 5] The first (Not manie thinges) But one thing. The second (I doe not remember, but I Forget that which is behinde. The third (I stand not still, but) I endeuour my selfe to that which is before. The fourth (I runne not amisse, but) I followe hard, The fift (Not beside the marke, but) Toward the marke. The sixt, (Not for anie other prize, but) For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus.

Touching the first, hee sayes (Not manie things) But one thing. Grego­rie hath thys sentence Cum ani­mus diuidi­tur ad multa fit minor ad singulae. The minde of man is lyke the stone Tirrhenus. That stone, so long as it is whole swimmeth, but beeing once broken sinketh. And so the heart of man beeing once broken, it soone sinketh, and beeing diuersly distracted, it is easilie ou [...]rwhelmed. Z [...]dikias Iere. 39. 5. did well enough so long as hee stayed in Ierusalem, [...]ignifying the vision of peace which is one thing▪ but when hee was carried to Riblah, signifying a multitude which is manie thinges, then were his eyes put out. VVhat [Page 6] so neare one as two? And yet wee must not goe so farre from one as two, seeing it is a verie hard matter and almost vnpossible, that one mind should well heede two diuers things: Vt res op­posstas mens ferat vna duas. Cor. Gallus. Hercules himselfe could not cope with two aduersaries at once. So that Peter was vnwise to ware two swords at once. Lu. 22. 3 [...] Alexander sayed, the whole world could not holde two Sunnes at once. So that Issacar was an Asse to beare two burthens at once. Gen. 49 14. No man sitteth vpon two seates together. No man hunteth two games together. No man iustleth with two Speares together. Hee that hath two harts, if he haue a true hart of the one, hee will haue a false hart of the other. Therefore sayes Saint Iames: Iam. 1, 8. A double hearted man is vnconstant in all his wayes. He that hath two tongues, if hee tell trueth with the one, hee will lye with the o­ther. Therefore sayes Saint Paule: 1. Ti. 3, 8 Deacons must not be double ton­gued. Hee that serues two Maisters, if he please the one, he will displease [Page 7] the other: therefore sayes our Saui­our: Lu. 10, 13 No man can serue two May­sters. Hee that walketh two wayes, if hee goe well in the one, hee will stumble in the other. Therfore saies Ecclesiasticus: Eccl. 2, 13 Woe be to the sin­ner which walketh two manner of wayes. VVherefore we must not be lyke the Philistines which had two harts, 1, Sa. 5. 2. one hart that cleaued to God, another that cleaued to Dagon. Wee must not bee lyke the Iewes which had two tongues, Soph. 2, 1. one tongue that sweared by the Lorde, another that sweared by Malcham. VVee must not bee lyke the Israelites which ser­ued two Maysters, 1, Kin. 18. 12. they halted be­twixt two opynions seruing some­times God, sometimes Baal. VVee must not be like Salomon which wal­ked two waies, 1, Ki, 11, 5 his hart was not per­fect with God, but somtimes he wal­ked the way of the Lord, sometimes the way of Ashteroth. We must not doo so, I say; wee must not followe God and Dagon; God & Malcham: God and Baal: God and Ashteroth. [Page 8] If wee would bee perfect indeede, wee must followe (Not many things, no not so much as two thinges) But one thing.

For this One thing, is the very band of Perfection Collo. 3. 4 [...]. Theodor [...] grae, Affect. eur. 2.. Heere-vpon Christ speaking to his Spouse, sayth thus Cantica. 4, 9., Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes, and with one chaine of thy necke. The Church, I graunt, hath manie eyes. But because as the eyes of a mayden looke vnto the hand of her mistresse Psa. 123. 2.: so all these eyes wayte onelie on the Lord, looke one­lie one way, and so (in a sort) make onely one eye, therefore hee sayes, with One of thine eyes. So likewise the Church hath many chaynes. But because these chaynes are so linked and intorteled together, that they all make (in a manner) but one golden chayne of Christian vertues, which is the band of Perfection, and bindeth the Church to Christ, as the necke ioyneth the bodie to the head, there­fore hee sayes, with One chayne of the necke. This one eye it is, this one [Page 9] chayne it is, which makes Christ in loue with his Church, which ouer­comes him, and woundes his heart. Thou hast wounded my heart, sayes hee, with one of thine eyes, and with one chayne of thy neck. The Spouse of Christ must haue but One chayne about her necke. The Disciple of Christ must haue but One coate vp­pon his backe. Luk. 9. 3. Hee must not be a turne-coate, much lesse a change-coate. Seeing indeed that which Cy­prian speakes of Christes coate, may be as truly sayde of euery Christians coate, That eyther it must be Vnica, or else it cannot be Tunica, eyther it must be One or none. For as Rebec­caes two Twins did strugle and wre­stle before they were borne, for ha­tred and malice, but Elizabeths one childe did spring and skip before hee was borne, for ioy and gladnes; so hee that busies himselfe about more thinges then one, shall neuer prooue singular in anie thing, [...]. Plat [...] de. rep. l. 3. nay hee shall finde that strife and resistance in his head, which Rebecca did in her [Page 10] wombe, but hee that labours and tra­uailes onely about One thing, shall bring it to good perfection, and be as well deliuered of it, as Elizabeth was of Iohn Baptist. Hence it is that wee are exhorted, for our heart, Act. 4, 32. to haue One heart and one soule, for our tongue, 1, Cor. 1, 10. to speake One and the selfe same thing, for our Master, Mat. 13, 8. to serue One Maister in heauen, for our way, Phil. 3, 16 to walke after One and the selfe same rule. According to that most wise and worthy word Cor vnū, via vna. My L. Treasurer his word. One heart, One way. VVhich is also agreeable to the word of God, who sayeth, I will giue them one hart, and one way, that they may feare me for euer, for the wealth of them and of their chil­dren after them, Ie. 32, 39 Wherefore let vs not haue many mindes, or trouble our selues about many thinges, but with Mary, He. 10, 41 mind onely One thing which is necessarie: let vs not haue many tongues, or desire many things, but euery one of vs say with Dauid, Psal. 1 [...], 1 One thing onely haue I desired of the Lord: let vs not serue many Mai­sters, [Page 11] or be many Maisters our selues, but as Sophony speaketh, Soph. 3, 9. with One shoulder serue the Lorde our God, and onely worship him: let vs not walk many waies, or kick against ma­ny pricks, Act. 9, 5. or shoote at rouers (as I may say) but with Saint Paule in this place, ayme onely at one marke, and follow But one thing. This is the first degree to perfection.

TOuching the second hee sayth, (I doo not remember, but) I forget that which is behind. Truth it is, we may remember, both that wee haue done ill, to amend it, and also that we haue done well, to cōtinue it. For the first Chrisostom saith, [...]. Nothing do­eth so well help vs forward in a good course, as the often remembrance of our sins. Whereas in the bitternes of our soules wee call to remembrance the dais of old, which we haue passed away in sin. Wherupon the Psalmist particularly intituleth the eight and thirtith Psal. a Memorandum, or a Re­membrance, [Page 12] because he made it, whē hee called to remembrance his sinnes, which hee had in former time com­mitted C [...] com­missa olim a se delicta memoriae re­peteret. Eu­thymius. ibi­dem, And generally Baruch say­eth to vs in this sort. Remember well what you haue done, and as it came into your hearts to turne away from God, so now striue with your selues ten times more to turne agayne vnto him ⁿ. Thus did Paule, remembring he had once beene a persecutor, [...]. Bar. 4, 28. 1. Tim. 1. 13 he did repent him of it, & made amends for it, and was afterward tenne times more zealous to saue the wicked, then before hee had beene to destroy the godly. For the second, an other say­eth, Quam im­mensa est lae­titia de re­cordatione tran [...]o [...] vir tu [...]is, &c. Ber. in se [...]t [...] omniū saenc. ser. 2. ô what heauenly comfort doe they inwardly feele, which are deligh­ted, with the remembrance of vertue past, with the fruition of ioy pesent: with the expectation of felicitie to come? This three-fold cord of com­fort, as it can neuer be broken, so it must always be drawn forth at length, that he which is iust may be stil more iust, that hee which is strong may be still more strong Re. 22, 11 Thus did Dauid, [Page 13] 1. Sa. 17, 36. remembring hee had once slaine a Beare, he did not repent him of it, but gathered strength and courage by it, & was afterward more bold to com­bat with a mighty Gyant, than before he had beene to deale with an eluish Beare, Therefore as they which leap, the further they goe backward to fetch their run, the further they leap forward, when they haue runne: so heere we may looke back a little, and remember both that we haue done ill, to amend it, and also that wee haue done well to continue it. Otherwise the remembrance eyther of vices or vertues, is so far from putting vs any whit forward, that it casteth vs quite backward. For as Marke the Eremite witnesseth, The remembrance of for­mer sins is inough to cast him downe altogether, [...]. who otherwise might haue had some good hope. Our sinnes & Elies Sonnes are alike. Ely hearing his Sonnes were slaine, whom he him­selfe had not chastised and corrected as he ought, fell down backward and brake his necke 1. Sa. 4, 17. And so all they [Page 14] that remember & hearken after their former sins, which they should haue mortified and kild, fall downe back­ward, and turne away from God. For this is the difference betweene the godly and the wicked. Both fall: But the godly fall forward vpon their fa­ces, as Abraham did wh [...]n he talked with God: the wicked fall backward vppon the ground, as the Iewes did when they apprehended Christ. He that remembers his sinnes, to be sorie for them, as Abraham did, falls for­ward vppon his face: but hee that re­members his sins, to reioyce in them, as the Iewes did, fals backward vpon the ground. VVherefore if thou be vppon a mountaine, looke not back­ward again vnto Sodom, as Lots wife did: Gen. 19, 27. if thou be within the Arke, flie not out againe into the world, as Noahs Crow did: Gen. 8, 7 if thou be well washed, returne not agayne to thy mire as the Hog doth: 2, Pet. 2, 22. if thou be cleane purged, run not againe to thy filth, as the Dog doth: Pr. 16. 11 If thou be going towards the Land of Canaan, [Page 15] thinke not on the flesh pots of Eg [...]pt: Ex. 16, 3 If thou be marching agaynst the hoast of Madian, drinke not of the waters of Harod: Iud. 7, 6 If thou be vp­pon the house top, come not downe: Mark, 13. 11. If thou haue set thy hand to the plough, looke not behind thee; Lu. 9. 62 remember not those vices which are behind thee: no, nor those vertues nei­ther. For as Gregory writeth, Memoria virtutis for­ma mentis. De arcae pas­torali. par. 4, ca. 1. The remembrance of former vertues doth many times so besot and inueigle a man, that it makes him lyke a blinde Asse fall downe into a ditch. When Orpheus went to fetch his wife Euri­dice out of hell, he had her granted to him vpon condition, that hee should not turne backe his eyes to looke vp­pon her, till he had brought her into heauen. Yet hauing brought her for­ward a great way, at length his loue was so excessiue, that hee could not contain any longer, but would needs haue a sight of her. VVhereupon forthwith hee lost both her sight and her selfe, shee sodainly againe vanish­ing away from him. Flexit a­man [...] oculos, et protinus illa relapsae est. Ouid. Met. l. 1o. Fab. 1, Me­min [...]t et Vir­gilius Geor. l. 4, in fin. This is a poeti­call [Page 16] fiction. Neuertheles it serueth ve­ry fitly to this purpose. To admonish vs, that if we haue anie vertue, which is to be loued as a man is to loue hys wife, yet we must not be so blind in affection, as to doate too much vpon it, or to fall in admiration of our selues for it, or to be alwaies gazing & won­dering at it, lest by too much looking vpon it, and by too well liking of it, and by too often remembring it, wee loose it. Because indeede he that re­members his vertues, hath no vertues to remember. Seeing he wants humi­lity which is the mother-vertue of all vertues. For this is the difference be­tween the godly & the wicked. Both remember vertues. But the godly re­member other mens vertues: the wic­ked remember theyr owne vertues. They remembring other mens ver­tues, make thē ensamples to imitate: these remembring theyr owne ver­tues, make them miracles to wonder at. Therefore the godly remembring they haue some one or other little vice in them, are humble, though [Page 17] they haue very manie great vertues: but the wicked remembring they haue some one or other little vertue in them are proud, though they haue ve [...]e manie great vices. Wherefore though thou haue conquered King­domes yet cracke not of it, as Zena­charib did Esa. 37. 13.: though thou hast built Babel, yet bragge not of it, as Nabu­chodonozer did Da. 4, 27: though thou haue a great people, yet number [...] not; as Diuid did 2, Sa. 24, 2.: though thou haue rich treasures, yet shewe them not, as Ezechias did 2, Reg. 20, 13.: though thou haue slain a thousand Philistines, yet glory not in it, as Sampson did Iud. 15, 16.: though thou hast built seauen, altars, yet vaunt not of it, as Balack did Num. 23, 1.: though thou giue almes, yet blow not a trumpet Mat. 6, 2.: though thou fast twise a weeke, yet make no words of it Luk. 18 12., (remember it not but) Forget that which is behind.

If thou wilt be Perfect, Mat. 19. 22 sell all that thou hast, and follow mee, sayth our Sauiour, S [...]ll all that thou hast. Or if no man will buy it, giue it. Or if no [Page 18] man will take it, Forget it. Themisto­cles said, he had rather learne the Art of forgetfulnes, then of memory. That is, as I vnderstand it, rather diuinity, then philosophy. For philosophy is an Art of memory, but diuinity is an Art of forgetfulnes. Therfore the first les­son that Socrates taught his Scholler was, Remember Reminis­cere.. For he thought that knowledge is nothing els but a cal­ling of those things to remembrance which the mind knew, before it knew the body. But the first lesson that Christ teacheth his Scholler is, For­get Obliuiscere.. Harken ô daughter (saies he) & see. Forget thine owne Country and thy fathers house. So that faith is that faire Hellena, which drinketh to vs in a cup of Nepenthes, and saith Reu. 21, 4., Be of good cheere, there shall be no more sorrow, neither crying, neither death, neither paine, for the first things are past. And the water of the word of God is, that fountaine Lethe, which when we come to drinke of it, speaks to vs (as it were) in this sort Esa. 43, 18., Remem­ber not the former thinges, neyther [Page 19] regard the things of olde. For as they which die cloth, doe not immediatly change one contrarie into an other, but first turne a white into an azure, and then make a puke of it: so wee can neuer holde colour, as a good puke, except first our white be tur­ned into an azure, that is, as Lirinēsis saith D [...]nec de­discimus bene quod didici­mus non bene cap. 25., except first we do well to For­get, that which wee did ill to get, ex­cept first we do happily vnlearn, that which we did vnhappily learne. And like as they which work in wax, can­not frame any new impression in it, till the olde bee defaced [...]. Bas. E. 1. p, 28.: so the I­mage of Caesar the Prince of thys world, the deuil must first be defaced, before the image of Christ can be for­med in vs. For this image of Christ, (as Clemens testifieth) [...] Prot. p. 5. is seene only in them, which Forget the hil of Heli­con, and dwell in mount Sion. Wher­fore though thou haue had a bloody issue twelue yeeeres, yet thine issue be­ing now stopt, Forget all bloodines: Mar. [...], 25., though thou haue had a crooked bodie eyghteene yeares, yet thy body [Page 20] beeing nowe straightned, Forget all crookednes Luk. 13, 11.: thogh thou haue had blind eyes, yet thine eyes beeing now cleared, Forget all blindnes in seeing the truth, Mar. 10, 5. though thou haue had deafe eares, yet thine eares being now opened, Forget all deafnes in hearing the word Mar. 7, 34.: though thou haue had a dry hand▪ yet thy hand beeing now restored, Forget all drinesse and ni­gardlines with men Mat. 12, 10.: though thou haue had a lame foote, yet thy foote being now recured, Forget all limping and halting with God Act. 14. 8: though thou haue beene dead and buried in the graue foure dayes, as Lazarus was, yet being now reuiued, Forget all deadnes in sin Ih. 11, 39: though thou haue ben possessed & tormented with sea­uen deuils, as Mary Magdalen was, yet beeing now deliuered, renounce the deuill and all his works, Lu. 8, 2. and Forget all thy wicked workes which are behind thee [...]. Uide na 2. [...]. Vide Nat. [...]. Yea, and all thy good works also. For if thou Forget them, then will God remember them. The patriark Abraham was content [Page 21] for Gods pleasure to sacrifice his Son Isaac. Ge. 21, 16.. But as soone as he had done, he Forgets it. Therfore God remem­bers it, and sets downe euery seuerall circumstance of it. By mine owne selfe haue I sworn (saith the Lord) because thou hast don this thing. There is the general. But what thing? The parti­culer followes. And hast not spared; yea not thy seruant, but thy Son; nay, not onely thy Sonne, but thine onely Sonne, And hast not spared thine only Sonne, therefore I will surely blesse thee. That good woman Lu. 7, 7, 42 gaue Christ louing and frindly intertainment. But as soone as she had don she Forgets it. Therfore Christ remembers it, and amplifies it from point to point. He turned to the woman and said to Si­mon, Seest thou this woman? when I came to thy house, thou gauest me no water for my feet: but she hath wash­ed my feet with the teares of her eies, and wiped thē with the haires of her head. Thou gauest me no kisse: but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse me feet. My head with [Page 20] [...] [Page 21] [...] [Page 22] oyle thou didest not anoynt, but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. Lo yee how true it is which I said be­fore, that if wee remember our good workes, then God will forget them; but if we Forget them, then God will remember them; yea & he wil reward them when we haue forgotten them. If we wage warre with God Lu. 14, 31, & think to ouercome him with ten thousand of our good deeds, then will he like a puisant Prince, bring forth into the field a huge army of our sins, twentie thousand of our sins against vs, and with twenty thousand of our sins will easily ouerthrow ten thousand of our good deedes, and so finally confound vs. But if one the other side wee can bee content to Forget all our good workes; and to strowe our best gar­ments, and our most florishing bran­ches at Christs feete Mat. 21, 8; and to cast downe our verie crownes before the throane of the Lambe Reu. 4, 10, then he will be a right Lambe indeed, hee will not fight with vs, but hee will crowne vs with honour & glory. Almighty God [Page 23] appoynted his people not to sheare the first borne of the sheepe De. 15. 16. The first borne of the sheepe are the best of our good works. These we must not sheare, nor lay naked and open to the view and knowledge of all men, but Forget them, and hide them vn­der the fleece of silence, and keepe them secret to our selues. So Ioseph, whom God did lead as a sheepe Psa. 80, 2, hauing a first borne, did not sheare this first borne of the sheepe, but cal­led him Manasses, that is, Forgetful­nes of those thinges which were be­hind, when God had now answered the desires of his hart Ecl. 5, 19. The faithful speaking to Christ say thus, wee will make for thee borders of golde guilt with siluer Murenulas [...]ureas ver­miculatas ar­ [...]ento. Can 1 10.. This is quite contrary to the fashion of the world. The fashion of the world is to guild siluer with gold, & to put the best side outward. But the faithfull guild gold with sil­uer, and put the best side inward. So Moses hauing a glorius countenance, did not set it out to the shew, but did Forget it, and couered it with a vaile Ex 34, 33. [Page 24] Now, a glorious countenance coue­red with a vaile, what is it else, but a border of gold, guilt with siluer? But we, we alas, for the most part, haue such base mindes, that wee are scarce worth the ground we goe vpon▪ We doe not guild our borders of golde with siluer; but wee sheare the first borne of our sheepe. We do not cast down our garments and our branches and our crownes-before the throane of the lamb, but we war against God with tenne thousand of our good works. Or rather indeed, which of vs all can muster together so many good works to fight for him? Nay, if wee haue done one thing well, or one time well, we think all is well▪ we need do no more, we haue done good inough, and oft inough. Yea, if others do not commend vs also, we do so wonder­fully please our selues in it, that wee are ready presently to prayse our selues for it. But heere we may all of vp learne true humility Humilitas animi subli­mitas chri­stiani▪ Leo., which is true magnanimity of S. Paul. Paul had a most noble and most stately hart, [Page 25] higher than the very poles of heauen it selfe. All that euer he had done he­therto, or could doo, he thinkes too little, nay, he counts it nothing. He was not a whit inferiour to the very chiefest Apostles 2, Cor. 12, 11., yet he Forgets it. Hee laboured more than they all. 1, Cor. 15, 10. yet he Forgets it. He spake with tongues more than they all 1 Cor. 14, 18., yet he Forgets it. Hee had care of the chur­ches 2, Cor. 11, 28., yet he Forgets it. He fought with beasts at Ephesus 1, Cor. 15, 32., yet he For­gets it. He troad fathan, that vile beast vnder his feete Ro. 16, 30., yet he Forgets it. Hee spake wisedome among them that are perfect 1. Cor. 2, 6., yet he Forgets it. Hee was rapt vp to paradise into the third heauen, where he first learned that among the Angels, which after­wards hee taught amongst men 1, Cor. 12, 4., yet he Forgets it, All this is nothing with him. Quae retro sunt obliuisci et ad ea quae [...]nte sunt A­postolum se­q [...]i. Ep. 15. All this he Forgets, & saith, I Forget that which is behind. This is the second degree to perfection.

TOuching the third, hee sayes, (I stand not still) but I Endeuour [Page 26] my selfe to that which is before. Saint Bernard writing to one Haimericus Chancelor of Rome, in his very first salutation, wisheth him to forget those things which are behind, and to follow the Apostle to those thinges which are before. Which no man can doo, that either stands still, or is idle. Wherefore Hermes saith generally, Nothing in the whole world is alto­gether idle [...] Dial. 11.. The wise man hath al­lowed a time for euery thing else, but for idlenes he hath allowed no time. Moses Arke had rings; and barres within the rings Ex. 24, 14., to signifie that it was not made to stand still, but to be remoued from place to place. Iacobs ladder had slaues Ge. 28, 12, vpon which hee saw none standing still, but all either ascending or else descending by it. Ascend you likewise to the top of the ladder, to heauen, and there you shal heare one say, My Father doth now worke, and I work also. Whereupon Basil noteth, that king Dauid hauing first said, Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, addes then Psal. 15, 2. [...]., Not he that [Page 27] hath wrought righteousnes heereto­fore, but hee that doth now worke righ­teousnes, euen as Christ sais, My father doth now worke, and I worke also. Descend you likewise to the foote of the ladder to the earth, and there you shall heare that figge tree accursed, which did beare leaues and no fruite. VVhereupon Theophylact noteth, that Iohn Baptist hauing first sayde, The axe is layde to the roote of the tree, adds then Mat. 3, 11. [...]., Not euery tree that hath not brought forth good fruite heretofore: but euery tree that doth not now bring forth good fruite shall be cut downe, euen as that fruitlesse fig tree was cut downe, and cast into the fire. Therefore we must so walke, as God seeing our continuall fruitfulnes may say of vs, I see men walking like trees Mar. 8, 24. Men walke like trees, when as men are neuer idle, but alwaies abounding in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58.. As the tree of lyfe euerie moneth bringeth forth twelue maner of fruits Reu. 22, 2. For so Christ said to him whom he healed Mar. 2, 10, Take vp thy bed, and walk. He sais [Page 28] not, Take vp thy bed and stand still, like a stone, but take vp thy bed, and walke, like a tree. Otherwise to them whom he found standing still, he said in his wrath and in his sore displea­sure, why stand yee still all the day idle? why are ye like Moab setled vp­on your lees Ie. 48, 11., and not poured from vessell to vessell? we must make ac­count to giue account for euery idle word, wee speake Mat. 12, 36.. And much more then for euery idle houre wee spende. Hee hath called the time a­gainst me, sayes Ierusalem Lam. 1, 15. So that for the very time which we haue con­temned, we shall be condemned: and for euery day which wee haue spent idlely, wee shall be shent seuerelie. The Istaelites were commaunded, not once in a weeke, or once in a mo­neth, but euery day to gather Manna, except onely the Sabaoth day Ex. 16, 26.. To teach them, and all vs, that till wee come to the saboth of our euerlasting rest in heauen, wee must neuer stand still, but euery day bee doing some­what. Wherfore Apelles posey was [Page 29] this, Let no day passe without a line Nulla dies sine line [...].. Be sure euery day thou do some good then draw one line at the least. Accor­ding to that Esa 28, 10, Line vpon line, line vp­on line. And Pithagoras posey was this Cha [...]nici ne insideas., Sit not still vpon the measure of corne. Do not looke to eate, except thou sweat for it. According to that 2, Thes. 3, 10. Hee which will not worke, let him not eate. In my Fathers house, sayes Christ, are many mansions Ioh. 14, 3., So that no man may sing his soule a sweete Requiem, saying with that cor [...]orant in the Gospell, Soule take thy rest. For in heanen onely, which is in our father [...] house, there are many mansi­ons to rest in. In this world, which is out of our fathers house, there are not many mansions, no not any mansi­ons to rest in▪ but onely [...] to worke in. We are come, sayes the au­thor to the Hebrews He. 12, 23, to the spirits of iust & perfect then in heauen▪ So that no man may [...]ue out for hymselfe a Quietus est, saying with the church of Laodicea, I am rich and haue inough. For in heauen onely, are the spirits of [Page 30] iust and perfect men, which are rich and haue inough. In this world wee must neuer think we are rich, but we must alwaies be poore in spirit: wee must neuer thinke we haue inough, but we must alwayes hunger & thirst after righteousnes. Wherfore if thou haue a talent Lu. 19, 20., put it not into a nap­kin, but into the banke: if thou light a candle, Mar. 4, 21 set it not vnder a bushell▪ but vpon a candlestick: if thou build a Citty Mat. 5, 14., place it not vnder a dale, but vpon a hil▪ if thou seek Christ Cant. 3, 1., seeke him not in thy bed, but in the garden. Lie not stil: Sit not stil: (stand not stil) but Endeuour thy selfe to that which is before.

Walke before mee, and be perfect sayth God to Abraham Gen. 17, 1. As if hee should say, if thou wilt bee perfect, then walke before me, and Endeuour thy selfe to that which is before thee. For the Apostle in the other part, speaking of those thinges which are behind, saith that he doth not onely not beare them in body, But not so much as beare them in mind. Heere [Page 31] contrariwise, speaking of those things which are before, hee sayth, that hee doth not onely intende hys minde to them, but also extend his very body towards them. So that as they which runne in a race, bend forward they [...] breasts, and stretch out their armes, to shew that they haue a desire to run faster then possibly theyr feete can follow them: after the same sort wee which runne in this course of Christi­anity▪ must cast away euery thing that presseth down, & sin which cleaueth so fast Heb. 12, 1, that wee may Endeuour our selues, or (as the Greeke word [...]. here signifies) stretch our selues, to those things which are before. And like as Aeolus left all the other winds, which might haue beene a trouble to hym with his friend Vlisses, to be packt vp in a male, & kept onely the westerne wind for his owne vse, to bring him home into his country: so we must re­iect all other things, which may be as contrary windes to driue vs from the shoare of saluation, and retaine onely that westerne winde of the spyrit of [Page 32] God, whereby we may Endeuour our [...]elues to that which is before, and stretch out our sailes, & so come safe­lie to the hauen of heauen. Euerie thing, as Austine testifieth, is either a hinderance, or a furtherance Aut vin­ [...]ulum aut [...]vehiculum De ciu [...]. Dei. l. 9, c. 5.: if it be a hinderance, cast it away: If it be a furtherance, then keepe it. For euen as the silke worme keepes her body spare and empty, and vses to fast two or three dayes together, that she may stretch out her selfe the better, and spin her threed the finer: so we must Endeuour to bring vnder our bodies 2, Cor. 9 [...], 27., and (as I may say) diet them for the nonce, that wee may not any longer weaue the spiders web Esa, 59, 5., but with the silk worme spin a new thrid. The spiders webb is vinculum, the silke wormes thrid vehiculum. And like as the viper perceauing her olde skin to bee so stiffe that shee cannot easilie stretch out her self in it, strips it quite off: after the same sort we which are by nature a generation of vipers, must strip off our old skin Colo. 3, 9., and per­ceauing we cannot well do our Ende­uour [Page 33] & stirre our selues in the armor of Saul, wee must with Dauid put it of, and put on the armour of light. When long warre had bin betweene the two houses of Saul and Dauid, at length the house of Saul waxed wea­ker and weaker, & the house of Dauid waxed stronger & stronger 2. Sa. 3. 1.. In like manner the spirit must alwaies Ende­uour it selfe to that which is before, & neuer leaue fighting with the flesh, till the house of Saul, who was a lim of the deuill, that is, the flesh, waxe weaker and weaker, and the house of Dauid, who was a figure of Christ, that is the spirit, waxe stronger and stronger. Thus the Baptist being but a child waxed stronger and stronger in spirit. And yet speaking of Christ and himselfe, he sayes thus Ioh. 3. 30., He must increase, I must decrease. But the Baptist was borne of olde Elizabeth: Christ vvas borne of young Marie. Whereby wee see, that that which is borne of the olde man, which is the flesh, must daily decrease in vs, and grow downeward: but that which is [Page 34] borne of the new man, which is the spirit, must daylie increase in vs, and grow vpward. For so indeede Christ in the beginning of the new world in­creased, in wisdome for his mind, and stature for his bodie Luk. 2, 52. To teach vs that if wee be liuely members of the same body, then we must in like sort Endeuour our selues to that which is before, and increase and multiply Crescite et multiplica­mini. Non so­lum ad cor­pus sed etiam ad animum refer [...]ur, [...]. & grow vp into him who is the head, till we all come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. The ho­ly ghost also in the beginning of the old world, was moued vpon the wa­ters Gen. 1, 2. To teach vs that if we be inspi­red & moued by the same spirit, then we must in like sort be moued vpon the waters, and passe apase ouer the red sea of this world, that wee may quickly come to the celestial Canaan, which is the kingdome of God. We pray indeede that the kingdome of God may come. But the kingdome of God commeth not by obseruati­on, Lu. 17 20 if wee stand still gazing and gaping for it Act. 1. 11 Non dormi­entibus, pro­uenit regnū coelorum, nec otio disidia­que torpenti­bus beatitudo aeternitatis ingeritur. Leo de epiph. ser. 5.. Therefore as Abra­ham [Page 35] dyd runne from the doore of his Tent, to meete the Angells Gen. 18. 2: So must we Endeuour to runne forward, not onely looking for, but also ha­sting vnto, the comming of the day of God 2, Pe. 3. 2. [...], that wee may (if it bee possible) meete the Lorde in the ayre 1. Thes. 4. 17., with all his holie Angells, if wee would haue his kingdome come. VVee pray also that the will of God may bee done in earth as it is in hea­uen. [...]. But the will of GOD will be not done if wee will doo nothing. Therefore as the Cherubins spread out their winges on high, and couer the mercy seate Exo. 37. 9: So must we spread out our wings, and stretch out, or En­deuour our selues, and bee alwayes prest and ready to flye, as it were, to do the will of God Ez. 1. 11 Nō solum a­quila, sed et bos, et leo, et homo volant., if wee would haue his will done in the earth, as it is in heauen. VVhen God at the first had made a paradise vpon earth, hee tooke the man, and put him into it, to dresse it and keepe it Gen. 2, 15 vt operatu [...] et custodiret illū. vulgata.. Adam was not enioyned to bestow any bodi­ly labour in dressing it at that time. [Page 36] For this was a part of his punishment afterward. Neither yet had he neede to keepe it from wild beasts. For all these were then subiect and obedi­ent vnto him. So that he dressed and kept it, by keping those graces which God hath giuen him, yea and Ende­uouring hymselfe to encrease them continually Quamuis paradisus o­perib. rurali­bus nō egeret tamen quia primus homo lex posterita­tis futurus e­rat, legitimi etiam in pa­radiso speti­em suscepit laboris. Ambro. de Parad. c. 4.. Therfore the Apostle beseecheth vs also, that wee receaue not the grace of God in vaine, but that in all thinges wee approue our selues, as the seruants of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, and so forth 2. Cor, 6. 1 See yee, how many posts & props he putteth vnder vs, that we may be stayed vp and confirmed in the grace of God. How many tooles, as it were, & imple­ments he giueth vs, that we may not receaue the graces of God in vaine, but that as they are receaued & kept in vs, so they may be daylie dressed and bettered by vs. For, as Saint Pe­ter witnesseth 2. Pet. 1. [...]., if these things be and abound, we shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledg of Christ. [Page 37] Wherevpon O [...]cumenius obserueth, that the graces of God, as the flowers of a garden, must not onely be kept, but also bee dressed, that they may haue, not onely a beeing, but also an abounding [...].. Because a man may haue great good things being in him, and yet be himselfe like a garden that is kept indeed, but not dressed, altoge­ther idle and vnfruitfull. But if they be both being and abounding in him, if hee Endeuour himselfe to goe on further euery day then other, then surely he is neither idle nor vnfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Hereup­on Charls the fift gaue this Emblem, Vlterius. Stād not stil but go on further. Vlte­rius, as God sais to his guest, Superius Luk, 14, 10 Sit not still, but fit vp higher. So the water riseth vp higher and higher which Ezechiel speaks of Eze. 47. 4.. First to the ankles: then to the knees: thē to the loines: lastly to the head. So the wheat grows vp riper & riper, which Christ speakes of Mar, 4. 28.. First there is the blade: thē the eare: thē the full corne: lastly cometh the haruest. So must [Page 38] we with the water, rise vp higher and higher, till wee come to the head, which is the sonne of God: and with the wheate grow vp riper and riper, till wee come to the haruest, which is the ende of the world. Alwayes Ende­uouring our selues to that which is before, and continually singing one of the Songs of Sion, that is, one of the Psalmes of degrees, Nomine graduum sig­nificatur as­censio, qua profici [...]ntes quique a ten­poralibus ad [...]eterna, a ter­renis ad coe­lestia proue­bunter. Prosper. in ti tulump. 120 till wee beholde the Lorde in Sion, till wee see the head, in the haruest, the sonne of GOD in the ende of the worlde. Euen as hee did, who sayes heere, I endeuour my selfe to that which is be­fore. Thus much cōcerning this part, beeing the thirde degree to perfec­tion.

TOuching the fourth, hee sayth, (I runne not amisse, but I followe hard. A man may runne amisse, o­therwise then he shoulde, by run­ning eyther too slowly or too fast.

Nowe for ouer-much slownesse, Rusticus Diaconus sayeth Turpe est contra arden­ter peruersa asserentes, nos pro veritate frigidiores inueniri. li. aduersus A­cephalos., It is a [Page 39] starke shame for vs to bee colde in maintayning a truth, seeing our ad­uersaries are so hot in defending a falshoode. VVhen the aduersarie had sowne tares among the good corne, the Mayster sayde to his Ser­uaunts, Let both growe together. Hee sayeth not, Let the tares growe, and the good corne not growe, but, Let both growe together. If the tares growe so fast for the fire, then let the good corne growe as fast for the barne. If the wicked runne so fast to damnation, then let the god­lie runne as fast to saluation. Yet the Prophets haue euer complay­ned, that the children of thys worlde are much more forwarde in theyr kinde, then the Children of light. Dauid speaking of the Children of thys worlde, sayth, They encourage them-selues in an ill purpose. But Esay speaking of the Children of light, sayth Esa. 59, 4., No man calleth for iustice, no man contendeth for the truth. VVhen the time drew neere that our Sauiour should bee taken [Page 40] and carried away to be crucified, one­ly Iudas that vile traytor was vigilant and watchfull to bring his mischie­uous purpose to passe, but all the o­ther disciples were fast a sleepe. Ther­fore as Ierusalem sayde of her eye La. 3. 51.. Mine eye hath spoiled my soule: So might these drousy disciples haue said of their eye, Our eie hath spoiled our soule. And as the Centurion said of his seruant Mat. 8. 6., My seruāt lieth at home sick of the palsey and is ill troubled: So might Christ haue said of these his sleepie disciples, My disciples lye at home sicke of the palsey, and are ill troubled. Wel said, ill troubled. For he that is diligent to discharge his du­ty, and takes paines in his calling as he ought, is well troubled Bene tor­quetur.. But he that hath the palsey and is dissolute and negligent, and lies at home sicke of the lazie disease, is ill troubled Male tor­quetur.. Ill troubled, with an euill spyrite, with the spirit of slumber, which, as Iob testifies Iob. 40. 16. lyeth in the couert of the reedes. They that are lazie and lither fellowes, and haue nothing in them, [Page 41] are heere called reedes, in whom the deuill himselfe lyeth and sleepeth se­curely. But though he be well quie­ted in them, yet (as I said before) they are ill troubled with him. Ill troub­led with him, as those seauenty Kings were ill troubled with Adonibezec, when hee did cut off the thumbs of their hands and feet. For he that hath the thumbs of his hands cut off, may perhaps do something, but hee is so long about a little that he were better sit still & do nothing, then be so long pidling about nothing. So hee that hath the thumbs of his feete cut off, may peraduenture goe forwarde, but it is Testudine­us gradus. Plaut. such a snayles pace which hee goes, that he were better stand still & not go at all forward, then go so slow­lie forward. Wherefore we must not goe so slowly forward, as though the thumbs of our hands and feete were cut off, but rather we must runne as fast as it is to be supposed that migh­tie man could 2. Sam. 21. 20., vvhich had vppon euery hand sixe fingers, and vppon euerie foote sixe toes. But yet sayes [Page 42] Bernard Et feruor discretionem erigat, et dis­cretio feruo­rem dirigat., As zeale must erect our discretion, that we runne not too slow­ly, so discretion must direct our zeale, that we runne not too fast. That wise woman, by whome is meant the Church of Christ, laboureth with the counsell of her handes Consilio manuum. Pr. 31, 13.. Her handes are full of eyes Oculatae manus. Plau­tus.. Shee hath more fore-sight and wisedome euen in her little finger, then many a man hath in his whole head. Shee labou­reth with her handes. There is zeale. Shee laboureth with the counsell of her hands. There is discretion as well as zeale. In Leuiticus they are for­bidden to bring anie blinde offe­ring to GOD Le. 22. 22.. All zeale without discretion, is an offering without an eye. All blind zeale, is a blind offer­ing. Which God wil neuer accept. So that as Minerua is saide to put a gol­den bridle vppon Pegasus, that hee should not flye too fast: in lyke sort our Minerua, that is our Christian discretion, must put a golden bridle vppon Pegasus, that is our earnest zeale Iames. 3. 3, least if our zeale bee vnbri­deled, [Page 43] it make vs followe too fast. Therefore Octauian the Emperour did beare in his Eschocheon, a Crab­fish and a Butterflie, with this mot, Festina lente. Softe pace, goes farre. A Crabfish creepes. Thats softe pace. A But­terflie flies. That goes farre. A Crab­fish, a Butterflie, Softe pace, goes farre. And Vespasian the Empe­rour did stampe in his coyne a Dol­phin and an anchor, with this im­presa Sat cito, si sat bene., Soone inough, if well inough. A Dolphin out-strips the ship. Thats soone inough. An anchor stayes the shippe. Thats well inough. A Dol­phin, an Anchor, Soone inough, if well inough. For as if the lower spheares in the heauen should not bee stayed with the contrarie course of the highest spheare in the firma­ment, they would soone sette the whole world on a light fire: So the inferiour affections of the minde, if they be not staied with the contrary course of reason, and with the milde motion of the spirit of God, they will soone ouer-heat thee, and ouerthrow [Page 44] all thou goest about. Therfore Chilo giueth vs this precept, not to ouer-heat Iacobs sheepe by driuing them too fast Ge. 33. 13., not to make ouer much hast in the way. According to that in the Prophet Esay, where it is said Qui credi­derit non fe­stinabit. c. 28 v. 16., Hee which beleeueth shall not make hast. The string of an Instrument may be as wel too high as too low. If it be too lowe it iarres, if it bee too high it breaks. So the mind of man may be as wel too intent, as too remisse. If it be too remis, it runs too slowly: if it be too intent, it runs too fast. Wherfore Clemens giueth vs this precept, that we should not be strained and wre­sted too high, but set and tuned a­right Non [...], sed [...]. Paedag, lib, 1 cap. 12.. According to that in the se­cond to the Corinths Non [...], sed [...]. 2, Co. 10 14, where it is said, that we must not outstretch our selues, but stretch out our selues; not run amisse (either too slowly or too fast) but Follow hard.

For the way of the righteous Pro. 4, 18., it glittereth as the light, which shyneth more and more vnto the perfect day. It glittereth as the Sun, which com­meth [Page 45] forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber, and reioyceth as a giant, to run his course. Indeed the wicked are like a wheele. O my God make them like a wheele, sayes Dauid Psa. 82. 13. A wheele tilts vp behind, and shootes downe before. So the wicked are for­ward to all badnes, and backward to all goodnes. But the godly are like a Panther. A Panther hath foure claws and no more, on each hind foot, but fiue clawes, and no lesse on each fore foote. So the godly, though they bee weake to the worldward, yet they are strong to Godward. And setting the better foote before (as wee say) they Follow hard and run with might and maine most violently to lay holde on that hope which is set before them [...]. Cursum cor­ripiunt. Beza Hebr. 6. 18.. For there are two sortes of violent men. Of the first sorte the Apostle sayes, ^b. No extortioners or violeent men shal inherit the kingdom of hea­uen. Of the second sort our sauior saies Ma. 11. 12, The kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and violent men lay hold on it. Both are violent men: but both are [Page 46] not violent to men. For they offer violence to men: these offer violence to God. Therefore they doe not en­ter: but these do enter into the king­dome of heauen. For though God be not content that wee should offer violence to men, yet he is well con­tent that wee should offer violence to himselfe Bona vio­lentia qua acquiritur regnum Dei. Vis intrare in regnum ce­lorum? Esto violentus et improbus Em Dominica. 3. Aduent. [...].. And that we should Followe hard, and as Pyrats or thee­ues set vpon him (if it be lawfull for me so to speake) and by the force of faith spoile him▪ and rob him of al his eternal treasures More la­tronum suis eum spol [...]are nitimur, cu­pimus illi au­ferre regnum thesauros & vitam. Am. Par. se. 15.. Therfore calling his church he sayth Can. 2, 13., Arise my loue, my faire one, make hast and come a­way. He that doth make account to come to GOD, must make hast to come to God. He must vse violence, and Follow harde, and come downe quickly with Zacheus, and for spee­dines he must be like a Doe or a Roe vpon the mountaines of Bether. Euen as those beastes in Ezechiel Ezec. 1. 14 did run & returne as lightning: So must euery one who is enlightned with the spirit of God Followe as swiftlie as light­ning, [Page 47] which doth no soner flash down from heauen to the earth, thē he must in affection mount vp from the earth to heauen. And like as the Isralites were commanded to eate the passe o­uer in hast Ex. 12. 11.: Semblably all we which are true Isralites must girde vp the loines of our minds, and Follow hard, and run a pace, & redeeme the time, that both the wrath of God may pas ouer vs, and also the mercy of God may abide with vs. For God among other arguments of his mercy sayes thus Iob. 39. 16, Who hath giuen wings to the Ostridg? The Ostridg neuer flies with his wings but onely a little lifts vp his body with them when he runs. And in y ^e pinion of each wing he hath a sharp spur, wherewith he pricketh his own self, that he may run the faster. So that God hath giuē wings vnto y ^e Ostridg not for the Ostridge, but for vs. That we might thereby learne, howe wee ought by all good meanes to quicken our dull disposition, that wee may Followe harde, euen as wee see the Ostridge eggeth his owne selfe for­ward [Page 48] with the flapping of his wings. For they that wayte vpopn the Lord shall change their strength, they shall lift vp their winges, (not onely as the Ostridge, but also) as the Eagle: they shall (I say) lift vp their wings as the Eagle Esa. 40, 31, they shal run and not be faint, they shall walke and not bee weary. Euen as Pindarus writeth that King Therons coursers were such as wold neuer be wery of going ^l: so shal these Follow still, and neuer be weary of well doing. But the most especiall thing to be considered heere is this, that the Prophet sayes, They which waight vpon the Lord, shall change their strength Mutabunt fortitudinem. Hee sayes not, they shall loose their strength, that where­as before they were strong, now they shall be weake: but they shall change their strength (namelie, the vse of their strength) that whereas before they were strong, and did follow hard, to serue sinne, nowe they shall be as strong, & shall Follow as hard, to serue God. Ro. 6. 19. For God only it is which can melt brasse out of a stone Iob. 28. 2.. I wot wel [Page 49] there is a stone called Almacrasia, which being molten becometh brasse. But these words haue a far more hid­den meaning. To wit, that God doth melt brasse out of a stone, when he taketh the hart of a sinner which is as hard as a stone, and melting it with the holy Ghost, and with fire, dooth afterward make it as tough as brasse. This was seene in the conuersion of Paul. For when Paul was made an Apostle, thē a stone was made brasse. He was as hard as any stone, before his conuersion, when he stoned Ste­phen Act. 7, 58. Hee was as tough as any brasse after his conuersion, when he did Follow so hard, that no affliction could seperate him from the loue of Christ Ro. 8, 35. Which thing was prophe­cied of long before Ge. 49, 27. When the Pa­triarch Iacob sayd, Beniamin shall be as a rauening Wolfe; in the morning he shall deuoure the pray: in the eue­ning he shall deuide the spoile. Paul was this Beniamin, because he was of the tribe of Beniamin Phil. 3. 5.. Paul was this rauening wolfe, because he brea­thed [Page 50] out threatning and slaughter a­gainst the Disciples, and was euen mad vpon them as a rauening Wolfe Acts 9, 5.. Paule in the morning deuoured the pray, because in the beginning of his dayes he wasted and deuoured the Church of God as a pray Gal. 1, 13. Paul in the euening deuided the spoile, be­cause in the latter ende of his dayes, he did Follow his calling hard, and de­uided the word of God aright 2, Tim. 2, 15., of which the Psalmist saies, I reioyce in thy word, more then they which haue found a great spoile. So that this is no losse of strength, but onely a change of strength. O blessed Ben­iamin! O holy Apostle! Thou hast now changed thy strength. Yea by changing it thou hast much increased it. For thou wert nothing so strong before, as thou art now. Nothing so strong before, being a ston, as thou art now, being brasse. Nothing so strong before, being a rauening wolf, as thou art now, beeing a meeke lambe. No­thing so strong before, in the mor­ning, as thou art now, in the euening. [Page 51] Nothing so strong before, when thou diddest deuoure the pray, as thou art nowe, when thou doest deuide the spoyle▪ When no impediments, no stumbling-blocks can stay thee, but thou wilt needes Follow hard, and runne ouer the whole world, to de­uide the spoyle among all Nations, to preach the Gospell vnto all peo­ple. So likewise Baruch was infla­med, as the Hebrew word signifieth Hekeriah. Nehemi. 3, 20., hee was (I say) inflamed, to forti­fie the wall of Ierusalem. In mans bo­die the arteries running along the veines, and beating vpon them, stir vp the blood, and keepe it warme, least otherwise by standing still, it should congeale and waxe colde Vide Theo­dor. [...] lib. 1.. After the same manner in Baruch his heart, there were liuely and quicke motions of the holy Ghost, which did blowe coales, and stirre vp the gift of GOD in him 2, Tim. 1, 6., which did warme hys blood, and make hym Followe the matter harde, beeing wholly inflamed with a burning de­sire, to see the Cittie of GOD [Page 52] restored againe to her former glory. So Abraham when the Angels came to him Gen. 18, 7., made hast to runne to his tent: & his wife made hast to kneade three measures of fine meale; and his boy made hast to kill & dresse a good and tender calfe. Loe yee how all are imployed in a godly mans house. A­braham and his wife, man & woman; Abraham and his boy, old and yong; all make hast, and Follow hard. So Dauid did runne the way of Gods commaundements. Nay, no ordinary pace would serue him, but hee must needs daunce before the Arke. Yea, his feete could not hold him, but hee must needs haue wings as a Doue. O that I had wings as a Doue (sayes he) then would I flye and be at rest Ps. 55, 6. Hee wisheth for winges, not that he might first be at rest, and afterward flye, but that he might first flye, and afterward be at rest. That he might first Follow hard, and flye vp with the wings of faith, into the heauenly pa­radice, and afterward be at rest, and settle there, in the tree of eternall life. [Page 53] O that I had wings, that I had wings, as a Doue (saies he) then would I flie, would I flie, and be at rest. And so must we after the example of Dauid, of Abraham, of Baruch, of Paul, fight for the faith which we haue receaued Iude, 1, 3: & striue to enter in at the straight gate Lu. 13, 24.: and labour for the meate which perisheth not Ih. 6, 27.: and study to enter into rest He. 4. 11. We must▪ I say, studie: and labour; and striue; and fight; and Followe hard. This is the fourth degree to perfection.

TOuching the fift he sayes (not be­side the marke, but) Toward the marke. Austine holdeth, that a man were better run, either too slowly, or too fast in the way, then follow hard out of the way. For the harder thou followest out of the way, the further thou runnest from the Marke. Here­vpon the Apostle, after following hard, addeth immediatly▪ Toward the Marke. Insinuating thereby, that to follow is nothing, but the Marke is the matter. And consequently that [Page 54] he which is not a skilfull Mark-man, can neuer bee a faythfull follower. Therfore we must marke well, what this Marke is. In one word it is the crosse of Christ [...]. Laert, in Di­ogene. Quod ille ioco, id nos seris di­camus.. For Christ hath set vp his crosse, as a spell Hinc dici­tur Gospell quasi Gods spel., or as a Marke for vs to ayme at, as a patterne of all perfection, as an euerlasting signe, which shall not be taken away Esa, 55, 13.. Hence it is that speaking of one, who should be his Disciple, he sayes Mar. 8, 54. ▪ He that would come after me, let him take vp his crosse, and follow mee. Let him take vp his crosse, that he may come the neerer to my crosse; and followe me, that he may be directed all the way by me. For thou canst neuer erre, or goe beside the Marke, so long as thou walkest in this way [...]. Basil. de spi­ritu. S. c. 8.. Ther­fore Maximus saith, If thou woul­dest finde the way which bringeth vnto lyfe, then seeke it in that way which saith, I am the way: the truth: and the life [...]. Centu. 2., The way, to them that begin; the truth, to them that proceed; the life, to them that are perfect Via est incip [...]ētibus. veritas profi­cientibus: & vita perfectis Tho.. Now the way of this way is the word. [Page 55] Which S. Peter confirmeth saying Campis in seliloquio animae. c. 12. z. 1, Pe. I, 25, The word of the Lord endureth for euer, and this is the word which is preached among you. He auoucheth that the eternall word, is the preached word, meaning thereby that the only way, to the begotten word, is the written word. According to that of the Psalmist Ps. 119, 1, Blessed are they which are vpright in the way, and walk in the law of the Lord. So that if thou wouldest be vpright in the way, which is the word Christ, then thou must walke in the lawe of the Lord, which is the word of Christ. For the holy scripture is giuen by the inspira­tion of God, to be a lanterne vnto our steps, and a light vnto our paths, that the man of God may be absolute, be­ing made perfect vnto all good works 2▪ Tim. 3, 17.. Wherefore (to define this whole matter in few words), we shal in mine opinion folow hard toward the mark, if we labour earnestly in our seuerall vocations to expresse the vertuss of Christ our good Lord [...] Basil. pag. 554., w ^c he shewed forth in al the course of his life, & es­pecially [Page 56] in his death vpon the crosse for vs to imitate and follow, by walking faith­fully in the way of his commaunde­ments, and squaring all our actions, speeches, and thoughts, according to the rule of his word. Euen as on the contrary part, it is very euident, that all they run beside the marke, which doe not propound to themselues to follow the ensample of Christ, but ei­ther in their doctrine, or in their life, either in their opinions, or in their ac­tions, continually swarue from him. Such are, all Atheists: Temporizers: Newters: & Humorists. For Athiests runne beside the marke by going too much on the left hand. They doe not make Christ a marke to ayme at that they may follow him, but a signe to shoore at that they may blaspheme him Luk. 2, 34.. They bend their tongues as bowes, and shoote out their arrowes euen bitter words Psal. 64, 3.. They corrupt o­thers, and speake of wicked blasphe­my, their talking is against the most high Psal. 73, 8.. They say vnto God, Depart from vs, for we desire not the know­ledge [Page 57] of thy waies Iob. 21, 13 Excede pietas si modo in no­stra domo v [...] quam fuisti. Atreus apud Senecam in Thyeste Ac­tu. 2.. And no meruaile that they speake so impiously which liue so vngodly. Running altogether vpon the left hand in the broad way of the world, of the flesh, of the deuill. For the world hath a kind of course [...]. Eph. 2, ve. 2, which Atheists follow being past fee­ling, and euen starke dead in their trespasses and sinnes. The flesh also hath a by-path [...]. Heb. 3, 3., whereby they are seduced and deceaued. Lastly the de­uill hath a method [...]. Eph 6, v. 11. Parte sinis­tra Centifi­dum confun­dit iter. Prud con. Sim. li. 2 which is without any methode, and an order which is contrary to all good order, and a left handed direction which bringeth them to finall confusion. Now Tem­porizers also run beside the marke by going about in a circle. They goe a­bout many things, but bring about nothing Thes. 3, 11. They do all things for the time, but nothing for the trueth Omnia protempore, ni­hil pro veri­tate Optatus. lib. 1.. They make many a period, but neuer a full poynt [...]. Chryso. They are alwaies lear­ning but neuer come to knowledge Tim. 3, 7.. The hedgehog hath two holes in his siege, one toward the South, an other toward the North. Now whē the sou­thren [Page 58] wind blowes, he stops vp that hole, and turnes him Northward. When the Northren wind blowes, he stops vp that hole likewise, & turnes him againe Southward. Such vrchins, are all temporizers. They beleeue for a time, as long as the warme Sunne shines vpon them. But as soone as a­ny storme of persecution ariseth, by and by they haue a starting hole to hide themselues in, they change their religion, and turne about with the time. For as the harts of such men are as a cart-wheele, & their thoughts are like a rowling axeltree Eccl. 33, 5. Or as a top which alwaies runs round, and ne­uer goes forward, vnlesse it be whipt [...]. Hesy. verbo [...].. Or like a mill-horse which making many steps, turnes about, and is con­tinually found in the same place [...]. Bas. pag. 563. Or as dore which riding vpon his hin­ges all the day long, is neuer a whit nearer at night Pro. 26, 14. So likewise New­ters runne beside the marke by going forward and backward in a maze. These doe not aske of their Father an egge, but a Scorpion. For an egge [Page 59] would teach them to goe onely for­ward, but a Scorpion doth teach them to goe both forward and backward Augu­stin. Ep. 121 cap. 5. & Ba­sil. in Psal. 32. mitio.. Like the Barnacles, which are both flesh and fish Auibus ist is tanquam non carneis viri religios [...] ieiuniorum tempore vescisolent. Giral. Cam. App. c. 8.. Or the Israelites, which speake both Ashdod and He­brew Ne. I3, 24. Or Ianus, which sees both be­fore and behind Ianus bi­frons expri­mitur, quod in medio con­stitutus annuinciqientem pariter et ex­cedentē spec­ [...]are videatur Cypri. l. de Idol. vani.: Or Balaam which doth both blesse and curse Nu 23, 25. Such a Newter among the Romaines was Tully, who could not resolue, whe­ther he should take Caesars or Pom­peis part Quē fu­giam sci [...], qmem sequar nescio.. Among the Grecians was Tytides, who could not determine, whether he shold ioyne himselfe with Achilles or Hector [...]. Homer. Ili­ad. 5.. Among the Iews was the tribe of Ephraim, which was as cake vpon the harth not tur­ned Ose, 7, 8., bakt on the one side, and raw on the other side. Among the Gen­tiles was the Church of Laodicea, which was neither hot, nor colde Reu. 3, I5., neither hot, because it was raw on the one side, nor colde, because it was bakt on the other side. So it is with all Newters. Theyr cake is dowe, as we say, and they hold of both sides: and [Page 60] as ambidexters with Ehud Iu. 3, 15., they play with both hands Malefa­ciunt amba­bus manibus henefaciendo Micheas 7, 3: and as the sunne in Ezekias time they goe both forward, and backward Esa. 38, 8. Running vp, and downe; in, and out; and yet indeede are neyther aboue, nor be­neath, neither within, nor without [...]. Irenae. l. 1, c 9. Panarches ridle was this, How a man and no man, can with a stone, and no stone, kill a bird, and no bird, sitting vpon a tree, and no tree? Athenaeus makes the answere [...]. Conuiuaelium l. 10., That an Eu­nuche is the man: a Pumeise is the stone: a Bat is the bird: Fennell is the tree. After the same sort a Newter is a very hard riddle. You can not tell what to make of him. For going for­ward and backward, he is a Christian and no Christian. Like an Eunuche, which is a man, and no man; or a Pumeise, which is a stone, and no stone; or a Bat, which is a bird, and no bird; or Fennell, which is a tree, and no tree. Now Humorists also run beside the marke, by going too much on the right hand. Therefore Dauid could wish his vttter enemy no geater [Page 61] harme, then that sathan might stand at his right hand Psal. 109. 6. Sathan stands at a mans left hand, when he draweth him by the arme into the old way of A­theisme. At a mans right hand, when he pulleth him by the elbow, into the new-found way of Puri [...]anisme. For so blessed Cramner sayes, Initio pro­logi sui ante magna Bi­bliae. Some lose their game by short-shooting, some by ouer-shooting: some walke too much on the left hand, some too much on the right hand. The first which shoot short, & walk too much on the left hand, are Atheists: these latter which ouer-shoote themselues and walk too much on the right hand, are Humorists. Of both which S. Austine writeth thus Cauenda pernitias, vel Zizaniorum, vel praecisorū de vite domi­ni sarmento­rum. Epist. 203. we must in any case be­ware and take heed, sayes he, of the mischieuous infection, not onely of tares (which are Atheists) but also of those branches that haue cut them­selues from the Lords Vine (which are Humorists.) For as Atalanta ran­ging out on the right hand to gather vp those gold apples which Hippo­manes for the nonce threw forth be­fore [Page 62] her, did lose the wager she ran for [...]. Arauibus a­pud Notalem Comitem Myth. li. 7. cap. 8.: no otherwise they which are not thankfull to God for the glorious peace and prosperity of his Church, but runne after euery strange-deuised discipline, and take vp all pritty no­uelties as golden apples, which eue­ry man le [...]s fall, shall without questi­on misse the marke, and lose the gar­land of glory. VVherefore we must runne, not too much on the left hand, as Atheists do: not round about in a circle as Temporizers do: not forward and backward in a maze as N [...]w­ters doe: not too much on the right hand as Humorists doe: (not any o­ther way beside the marke) but to­ward the Marke.

Iohn Baptist did goe before Christ to make ready a perfect people for the Lord Parare domino ple­bem perfec­tam. Luk. 1, I7.. Now the sum of Iohns pre­ching was this, Prepare the way of the Lord, and make his path straight. So that they which walke in a straight path directly toward Christ, are a perfect people for the Lord. There­fore wee which would runne toward [Page 63] the Marke, must leaue all Atheisme, all Gentilisme, all prophanenes, all lewdnes on the left hand, as Paul did leaue Cyprus on the left hand, when he sayled toward S [...]ia Act. 33 1. For thus touching the world, Saint Basil telleth vs, That wee must for sake all those worldly affections, which may draw vs any way beside the Marke of true godlines [...]. Pag. 448.. Touching the flesh, Max­imus telleth vs, That when our mind is perfectly freed from fleshly desires, then it goeth on straight with­out any declining from the Marke. Touching the deuill Macarius tel­leth vs, That we cannot auoyde that gaping gulfe wherein the powers of darknes are ouer-whelmed, except the spirit of Christ be our pilot, and guide vs in a straight course toward the Marke, and in a right line as it were to the hauen of rest [...], Homil. 44.. For in­deed Hymenius and Alexander wan­ting this guide, made shipwrack of their faith, and were ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of damnation, being de­liuered to the deuill, that they might [Page 64] learne not to blaspheme 1, Tim. 1, 20.. Where­vpon Occumenius saith that it asketh good Art, & is a poynt of great cun­ning, for a man to keep the scope of Christianity, and to goe right toward the Marke of truth [...]. [...] v. 6.. And therfore as gunners winke with their left eye, that they may leuell more truly: in semblable sort we must not behold a­ny vngodlines or sinister dealing with our eyes, but we must aime directly toward Christ, and either, if it be pos­sible hit the Marke, or at the least­wise with those left-handed Benia­mites come within a hayres breadth of it I u. 20, 16. When Diogenes saw a bung­ling Archer shoot, he ran as fast as he could to the Marke. The lookers on demaunded what he meant in so do­ing? He answered, to make sure that he might not be hit. For this fellowe (saise he) means neuer to come neere the Marke. Thus must we doe. Whē we see prophane straglers, starting a side like a broken bow, and rouing a great way wide on the left hand, wee must presently runne to the Marke. [Page 65] That not only we may keepe our sel­ues safe frō the danger of their ill en­sample, but also we may giue aime (as it were) to others, by our good ensam­ple, and direct them that they be ney­ther wide nor short of the Marke Paulus dicit se insta▪ s [...]gitary ad prepositū & ad signum ia­cula dirigere, ne sagitta ad partem decli­nans alterā, imperitū os­tendat sagit­tarium. Hie­ro. aduer. P. l. 1, initio.. Now for Temporizers, wee know that Iosephs brethren stood so long dally­ing and delaying, and trifling out the time, that hauing a iourney to buy corn, they might haue returned twise before they would goe once Ge. 43, 10. Also that Elizeus when Elias called him, went about the bush (as we say) and would needes goe bid his Father and his Mother farwell, before he would follow the Prophet 1, Kin. 19, 20.. Paul did not so. Being called of God, hee did not stand temporizing, and cirkling, and consulting with flesh and blood Gal. 1, 16., be­fore hee would followe toward the Marke, neither did he fetch a com­passe, as hee was constrained to doe when he ariued at Rhegium Act. 28. 13, but as hee came with a straight course to Cous Act. 21, 1., so heere straight wayes hee came to Christ. There is but one [Page 66] place in the whole Scripture, which may seeme to serue them, which serue the time. And that is, where the A­postle exhorteth vs, not to be sloth­full in seruice, but feruent in spirit, seruing the time Ro. 12, 11. [...].. They that by ser­uing the time, vnderstand, taking all oportunities to doe good, expound it neuerthelesse thus, That wee must apply our selues to the time, yet so, as in euery inclination, and turning, we keepe a straight course Sic tamen, vt in quali­bet inclinati­one rectum cursum ten [...] ­amus, Caluin ibid.. But all the fathers, Origen onely excepted, doe reade the place otherwise. Ierome by name saith most peremptorily I lli legant, tempori ser­uientes, nos legamus, Do­mino serui­entes. Epistola ad Mar­cel., Let others reade, seruing the time, I for my part will reade, seruing the Lord. And this reading in deede is much more a­greeable to the text. So that heere is nothing sayde in defence of time­seruers. For they that are such, serue not the Lord Iesus Christ, they are not Christ-seruers, but they serue their owne bellies, and with their glaue­ring and flattering, they seduce the harts of the simple, and leade them beside the Marke Ro▪ 16, 18. Therfore as flea­chers [Page 67] to make their shatts f [...]ie stedily, peece them with sugarchest, or holy, or such like heauy wood: so we must adioyne, to that aspe, or seruice tree, or such other light matter, which we are all made of, the sweet sugarchest of the holy ghost, that we may not be vnstea­die as arrowes of aspe, nor yet sloth­full in seruice, but feruent in spirit, seruing the Lord. Saint Ambrose re­porteth, that the Bee beeing to flye home to her hiue, and fearing least if she should be taken by the way with the wind, shee might perhaps bee blowne about in the ayre, counter­peizes her selfe with a little stone, and so flies straight home Apis cum aeris motus suspecto▪ ha­bet laplllis saepe sublatis per inania se librat nubila ne leue alari [...] remigiū prae­cipitent fla­bra ventorū. De Vir. prop. f. l. 3.. This may teach vs also what we ought to doe. We must not be wauering, & carried about with euery blast of doctrine Eph. 4, 14, like a reed shaken in the wind Vide Fox um in praefa­tione ante Pādectas lo­corum com­munium: but as the Bee is balaunced with a little stone, so wee must be built vpon the chiefe corner stone Eph. 4, 20, and grounded vpon a rock Lu. 6, 24, and established with grace He. 13, 9, that howsoeuer the rayne fall, or the floods arise, or the winds [Page 68] blow Mat. 7, 25. or what times soeuer come, yet wee may stand fast in the streete which is called straight Act. 9, 11., alwayes fol­lowing Christ directly toward the Marke. To come nowe to Newters, they may be compared to a Weauers shittle Iob. 7, 6. which if it goe forward one way, presently goes backward againe as much another way. Or to a Wea­uer himselfe, such an one as Penelope was, who would doe, and vndoe, weauing that in the day time, which shee did vnweaue in the night. But contrariwise sayth our Apostle, Gala. 2, 16 If I build againe the things that I haue destroyed, I make my selfe a trans­gressor. As if he shold say, If I weaue, and vnweaue, if I build, and destroy, I make my selfe a Newter, and so con­sequently run beside the Marke. For no man doth more transgresse, then he that is doubtfull, and vncertaine in religion, one while putting his foote forward, another while pulling it backward againe Nihil tur­pius dubio & incerto, pedē modo referē ­te, modo pro­ducente. Se­neca. Ep [...] 96.. God sayth to his people which come to worship him in his temple, That he which entreth [Page 69] in by the way of the North gate, shall goe out by the way of the South gate, and he that entreth by the way of the South gate, shall goe forth by the way of the North gate, hee shall not returne by the way of the gate, wher­by he came, but they shall goe forth ouer against it Ez [...] ▪ 46, 9.. Thus the wise men which came to worship Christ, retur­ned not home the same way they came, but returned home another way Mat. 2, 12. For it was behoofull that be­leeuing nowe in Christ, they should not walke any more in the wayes of their olde conuersation, but that ta­king a new course, they should leaue all their former errors, & goe forward continually toward the Marke Opertebat enim vt tam in Christum credentes, non per antiquas cōuer sationis semitas am­bularent, sed nouā ingressi viam a re­listu errori­bus abstine­rent, Leo de epiphania. ser. 3.. Among those sowles, which are coun­ted abhominable, the Sea-mew, or the Gull is one Le. 11, 16. Nowe this is vn­cleane, because it liues in both ele­ments, both in the water, and in the earth, swimming as a fish, and yet flying as a bird Larus a­nimal est in vtroque vi­uens, id est aqua & ter­ra, qui sicut auis quidem volat, vt a­quatile autē natat. Cui nō male com­parantur hi qui circumci­sionem vene­r [...]tur & Baptisma, a [...] quos Paulus dicit, si cir­cumcidamini Christus vo­bis nihil pro­dest. Isychiu in Le [...]. lib. 3. And certainely, those wise men shold haue been such fooles, and such gulls, as these are, if [Page 70] they had worshipped both circumci­sion, which is an earthly rudiment, and also Bap [...]sme, which is admini­stred by water, & by the holy Ghost. For the holy Ghost sayth, if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. As if hee should say, If you goe backward againe to the circum­cision of Herod, hauing gone thus far forward to the baptisme of Christ, you make your selues Newters, and shall neuer come to the Marke. The Iewes were charged not to weare a garment of diuers sorts, as of linnen and woollen together Deu. 22, 11. Hath God care of Oxen, and hath he not much more care of preachers 1, Cor. 9 9.? Hath God care of those garments, wherewith our bodies are couered, and hath he not much more care of those vertues wherewith our mindes are adorned 1, P [...]. 3. 3 [...]. 1, Pet. 5, 5. [...]? Yes verely wee must so vnder­stand it, that by this Iewish lawe we are all charged, not to runne with old clouted shooes vpon our feet Iudg. 9, 5, when our feete should be newe shod with the preparation of the Gospell of [Page 71] peace Eph. 6, 15., not to sow a peece of new cloath into an olde garment Mar. 2, 21, when old things are now past, and al things are become new 1, Cor, 5, 17.. In one word, not to haue a linsie woolsie religion, or a parcht moath-eaten conscience, but to weare such a faire cognisance of certainty and constancie vpon our coate, as all men may see, that with­out any newtrality or hipocrasie, we follow hard toward the Marke, and sincerely serue God. Therefore as Theseus beeing guided by Ariadnes threed, which shee tyed at the en­trance into Dedalus labyrinth, esca­ped all the danger and error of it: e­uen so wee must make Christ the doore, by which we must enter into the labyrinth of all our affaires, and tye Rahabs threed Iosu. 2, 14. at this entrance, and follow it all the way, that so wee may be safe, and goe in, and out, and finde pasture Ioh. 10, 9.. For to goe in and out after this sort, is not to goe forward & backward, but to go only forward. Seeing, whether we goe in by remem­brance of Christs mercies, or goe [Page 72] out by consideration of our own mi­series, whether we goe in by faith, or goe out by good works, whether we goe in by life, or goe out by death, al­wayes we finde pasture, that is hea­uenly comfort in Christ, alwayes we goe forward, alwayes wee follow to­ward the Marke. Now for Humorists, S. Paul aduiseth vs to put on the ar­mour of righteousnes, on the right hand, and on the left 2, Cor. 6. 7. Marcus Caeli­us was said to haue a good right hand, but an ill left hand, because he could plead, against a man better, then for him. But here it is contrary. For these are armed well enough on the left hand, but they lye open to the deuill on the right hand. Who like a cun­ning fencer doth strike a great deal [...] more fiercely, at the right hand then at the left. Ampliori soli citudine vulnerare in nobis dextrā satagit quan▪ sinistrā. Ber. qui hab [...] ser. 7. Therfore Dauid saith, The Lord vpō the right hand shall wound euen Kings, in the day of his wrath Ps. 120, 5. If sathan stand at thy right hand, he shall wound thee: but if the Lord stand at thy right hand, thou shalt wound him; and bruse his head, and [Page 73] breake the hairy scalp of all the kings, and princes of darknes Ep. 6. 12. Where­fore euery Christian must say with the Psalmist Psal. 19, 9, I haue set God alwaies before me (there is the Marke) for he is at my right hand, so that I shall not fall. And againe Psa. 73, 23 Thou hast holden me vp by my right hand, thuo shalt guide me with thy counsell, (there is toward the Mark) and after that re­ceause me to glory. S. Bernard writing to one Guido a Cardinall of Rome in his very first salutation, wisheth him no greater gift of God, then that hee might haue grace to turne, neither to the right hand nor to the left Guidoni Barnardus, non declinar [...] ad dextram nec ad [...]inis­tram. Episto­la. 192. And a little after in the same Epistle, he re­questeth him, that he would learne to know himselfe, and not goe beyond his owne medio [...]rity, but be wise vn­to sobriety Seipsū cog­nosceret, nec egrederetur mēsuram su­am, sed sape­ret ad sobrie­tatem ib.. This lesson the wisest that euer was teacheth vs Eccl. 7, 18., Not to be òuer much iust, neither to make our selues ouer much wise Quisquis plus iusto non sapit ille sa­pit. Martial. li. 14. For that which is too good, is starke naught: and he that is too wise, is a stark foole. Because hee is neuer contented with [Page 74] the time present, but needes he must haue a Praeter. And yet no Praeter will content him neither, not an imper­fect, no not a perfect, but onely that which is more then perfect. Now he which will needes be more then per­fect, shall whether hee will or no [...] be lesse then imperfect. He that seeks to be more wise, then he can be, shall be found to be lesse wise, then he should be. And he that thinks himselfe seene in all things, shal soone shew himself [...] ouerseene in most things. Because a selfe-conceit of surmised wisedome, will not let him come to a happy in­crease of true wisedome [...].. And cer­taine it is that God will not reueale wisdome, but onely to such as walke continually in the way of peace, and doe not at any time, like scattered sheepe, runne too much on the right hand, out of the way of peace, into the way of precisenes Invi [...]pac [...] tantum am­bulantibus reuelab [...]t, & in nullam praecis [...]nem deuiantibus. Aug. l. 2, de Bap. contr [...] Don [...]. c. 8. & citatur a Bru­n [...] de haereti­cis. l. 4, c. 4 Wherfore thogh it be thy right eye, yet if it offend thee, or cause thee to offend the Church of God by thy running be­side the Marke, plucke it out hardly [Page 75] and cast it from thee Mat. 5, 30. For thou knowest than he which would needs forsooth in all the hast call for fire from heauen Lu. 9, 54 had too hot a spirit, and at that time, went too much on the right hand, and therfore not with a right foote to the Gospell Gal. 2, 14. But he that did shaue his head in Cenchrea Act. 18, 18 Paulus Ti­motheum cir­cumeidit, ho­stias in tēplo immolauit, cum Aquila & Priscilla caput Corinthi totondit. Wilfridus a­pud Bedam. Historia lib▪ 3, cap. 25., and yeelded to many other ceri­monies for peace sake, which other­wise perhaps he did not greatly alow, and like of, as he exhotteth others to doe, so he did himselfe make straight steps for his feete He. 12, 13, and went direct­lie toward the Marke. To returne then now at the length to that which ere-while I was about to say, It hath beene thought in former time that none could be perfect but they which led a solitary life. Hence it is that so many writers both old and new haue so largely discoursed of the perfecti­on of that life Venire ad erenium sum­ma perfectio est. C [...]ēsar. A­relatēsis. ho. 23, p. 143. Vide praeter alios Lauren­tium Iustini­anum de dis­ciplina, & perfectione monasticae conue [...]sati [...] ­ [...]is pag. 118.. Yea diuers, not onely inferiours but euen Princes, and not only of other Countries, but euen of of this realme of England Kymgil­sus [...] ▪ Ceolul­su [...]: Eadber­t [...]s: Ethelre­dus: Kenre­dus▪ Sigeber­tus: Offa: Sebbi: Iue., haue voluntarilie relinquished, theyr [Page 76] crowne, their scepter, and all their royall robes, and cloystered vp them­selues in Monasteries, that they might liue, as they thought, in a more per­fect state. And certes I will not deny but that such as can well away with this kind of life, haue many oportuni­ties to serue God, which we haue not Nihil a­liud quick­quam [...]rat o­lim monach [...] professio, qu [...] priscae liberae­qu [...] v [...]tae me­ditatio ac pu­re christianae. Erasmus in praefatione ante Hier. Ep, and haue not many imperfections of the world which we haue Cellae & Caeli habita­ti [...] coḡnatae sunt. Ber. de vitaeso.. Yet this is not the onely perfect state, which tendeth toward the Mark. But as diuers haue liued verie badly in Monasteries: so many haue liued ve­ry blessedly without them. Yea there is no calling so meane, but if a man followe Christ in it, hee may well e­nough, according to the measure of grace which it shall please GOD to giue him, become a perfect man. Let Ioseph be an example for seruaunts; Iacob for shepheards; Amos for cot­tagers; Mathewe for farmers; Peter for fishers; Paul for tentmakers; & so forth in the rest Vide the­odoret. [...]. li. 7. in fine. Et Philo. Iu­daeum [...]. p. 593.. For if a man haue the right Marke alwayes before his eyes, he may liue as well in a Citty, as [Page 77] in a sanctuary [...]. Chrysost. ad pop. ancho. 17, as well in a shop, as in a cell [...]. Vbi supr [...] hom. 22.. So that no one calling sim­ply of it selfe, doth make a man per­fect, but the answer of a good consci­ence to God 1, Pet. 3, 21., that is it which ma­keth a man perfect. Briefly the poynt is this. What lawfull calling, state, or condition soeuer thou art in, if ouer and besides the plying of thy worldly bu [...]ines, thou haue a conscionable care euery day to increase spiritually also, in such a faith as worketh by charity Gal. 5, 6, I warrant thee, feare nothing, thou art right enough, and doest goe straight toward the Marke. The su­perstitious pagans thought that an I­doll which they termed Vibilia, kept them from erring out of their way Ab errori­bus via [...] dea vibili [...] liberat Ar­nob. aduers. gent. l. 4, i­nitio.. But faith is our Vibilia which vvil not suffer vs to vvander out of the way, so long as we do all things according to that patterne vvhich vvas shewed vs in the mount Exo. 25▪ 40.. For Christ with his crosse in mount Caluary hath gone before vs, and broken the ice already for vs, and left vs an example, that by faith vve might follow his steps 1, Pet. 2, 21.. [Page 78] Euery one of vs saying vnto him with holy Iob, My foote hath followed thy steps, thy way haue I kept, and haue not declined Iob. 23, 11.. This we shall doe if we walke in the Kings high way of charity Num. 21, 22. [...]. Nazi [...]anzen▪ pa. 19. [...] Basil. pa. 139, and keepe the royall law of loue Iam. 2, 8.. For we that are Christians goe toward the Marke, not by liuing, but by louing: not with our feete, but with our affections. Neyther is there any thing which maketh a good or a bad life, but a good or a bad loue Imus e [...]im n [...] ambulan­do sed aman­do. non ped [...] ­bus, sed mori­bus. Nec fa­civ [...]t bonos vel malos mores, nisi b [...] ­ [...] vel mali a­mores. Aug. Epist 52.. Therfore he that would be perfect, must be rich in good workes, and ac­cording to the rule of Euangelicall perfection, hee must loue, not onely his frinds in God, but also his foes for God Ami [...]s in D [...], & ini­micos propter Deum Pros­per. in l. sen­tentiarum.. Because as that is the hottest fire which warmeth thē that are fur­thest off: so that is the most feruent & perfect loue which forsaketh none, though they be neuer so farre off, nei­ther friend nor foe, that may be loued, but embraceth all in him who neuer doth forsake vnlesse he be forsaken. Now this charity of ours ought to be skarlet twise dyed Coc [...]us bis tinctus. Exod. 28. 6., I meane ex­tended, [Page 79] not onely towards men, but also towards God. VVhich loue of God must make vs contemne the world, and loath our owne selues Duo a­mores, duas constituunt ciuitates. A­mor Dei cres­cen [...] vsque ad contemptum sui, ciuitatem Dei. Amor suivsque ad contemptum Dei, ciuitatē diaboli. Aug, and mortifie all our inordinate desires, and keepe no propriety in any thing we haue, but renounce, and resigne, our whole will, and our whole soule, to the good will, and pleasure of God. For indeede so many times we step out of the way, as we desire any thing which is not finally referred to the loue of the Lord Tot gres­sus extra viā ponimus, quot peruersis desi­derijs a c [...]lis­ [...]is vitae me­ditatione se­paramur. Grego. Mag.. And therfore as a cunning archer will hit, not only the white. but euen that very blacke, in the middest of the Mark [...], which is commonly made in the forme of a hart; semblably a sincere louer of God, must neuer leaue darting, and shooting vp to God his most passio­nate and piercing desires Iaculatoria desideria Au., till hee hath hit the Marke [...]. Ignat. Epst. 12., and with his wounded heart hath also wounded Gods hart, that the Lord may merci­fully, and louingly confesse vnto him and say, Thou hast wounded my hart, my sister, my spouse Can. 4, 9. But now [Page 80] as in our charity to men we must loue, not only our friends, but also our foes; so in our charity to God, wee must loue the Lord, not onely when hee sheweth sensible signes of familiarity and fauour toward vs, but also vvhen he seemeth to frowne as it vvere, and to be offended vvith vs. Dauid saith in one Psalme Psal. 119, 143., Trouble and heaui­nes haue found mee: but in another Psalme Ps. 116, 3., I haue found trouble and heauines. Betweene these two spee­ches there is a great difference. For trouble and heauines may finde him, vvhich runneth into a corner, and hi­deth himselfe, and vvould not bee found by affliction. But he finds trou­ble and heauines, vvho vvhen it is in his owne free choyce vvhether hee vvill bee afflicted or no, vvillingly vvith Moses chooseth to suffer afflic­tion Heb. 11, 25., and loueth the Lord most of all, vvhen hee layeth some fatherly chastisement, and correction vpon him. Knovving that, as Christ vvas consecrated and perfected by afflicti­ons [...]eb. 2, 10. & cap. 5, 9.: so nothing doth more perfect a [Page 81] Christian, & make him fine gold indeed (as S. Paul also in the very next verse al­most before my text declareth) thē the fellowshippe of his afflictions, and to be made cōformable vnto his death [...].. For the sweet lambe of God was in such an extreame agony, & anguish & distresse, and desolation of spirit, that his blessed body was bathed all ouer m [...]a sweat of bloud. To teach vs, that thogh we haue suffered very much already for the loue of Christ, yet if we be not cōtent to suf­fer a thousand times more, and euen to endure martirdome, & to sweat a blou­die sweat for his sake, wee are not of his body Haec pugna salu [...]toris no­stri, martyrū agones, & certamina significabat. Ille sudor san guineus eor [...] sanguinē de toto eius cor­pore (quod est ecclsia) vti (que) fundendum manifestabat Emisse. [...]eria 4. post Domi▪ in palmis. p. 116.. But on the other side, that this is the hiest perfection that can be in this life, not onely in prosperitie, but also in the greatest aduersity to blesse God, & if it please him for our further tryall to take avvay from vs all comforts, both outward, and inward, yea & to bring vs in a manner, to the very poynt of despe­ration, yet euen then, then also to shew an inuinsible faith, & only for the pure, and perfect loue vvhich vvee beare to­ward his Maiestie, to vvrestle with the whole worlde, and to fight manfully a­gainst the powers of hell it selfe, and to [Page 82] braue it out, and triumph ouer all tribu­lations, each one of vs saying with Iob Iob. 13, 15., Though he kill me, though he kill me, yet will I loue him, and put my trust in him; and with Christ Mat. 26, 39., Father, fa­ther, O my louing Father, if it be possi­ble, let this cup passe from me, neuer­thelesse not my wil, not my will, but thy will be fulfilled. This is indeed to follow hard toward the Marke. This is the fift degree to perfection.

TOuching the sixt he sayes (not for any other prize, but) For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. A man were as good to shoot at no marke [...] Eras. in pro­uerbio, Nullo scopo iaculari, as at a wrong marke. And a man were as good venter for no Prize [...]. Marcus Ere­inita. as for a wrong Prize. For he that suffreth martirdome, (which, as I said euen now, is the highest top of perfection, that any mortal creature can reach to in this life) he, I say, that suffereth martirdome, to this intent, to haue his reliques honored of all men, or is willing any other way to haue his blood shed, to this end, to make himselfe famous in the world, followeth hard (I graunt) toward the mark, yet he followeth not for this perfect Prize, but [Page 83] for popular praise Si ita martyriū fe­cerimus quo [...] nostras ab omnibus ve­limus hono­rari reliqui [...] & si opinion [...] vulgi sectan­tes intrepide sanguinem fuderimus, huic operi non [...]am praemi­um quā poen [...] debetur, & perfidiae ma­gis tormenta sunt. quam corona victoriae Amb.. And therefore all that he suffereth, dooth rather torment him for his hipocrisie, then crowne him for his victory. VVherfore it will not be amisse to consider, what ought to be the chiefest end of all our actions, and what is the greatest felicity that man may at­tayne by following hard towarde the marke, which the Apostle here calleth, The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. Varro reporteth, that the auntient Philosophers haue held and maintayned, two hundred threescore and eight seuerall opinions, concerning felicity Libro de philosophia apud Au­gust. de ciui­t [...]. Dei. lib. 19. cap. 1.. No meruaile then though A­thens, and Rome, and all the braue and gallant wits in the world, could neuer attaine to the true knowledge of perfect blessednes. For following so many, they could neuer finde any, but vanishing a­way in their owne smokie conceites, when they thought themselues wise men they prooued in the end to be ve­ry fooles Ro. 1, 22. Seeing this is the greatest folly that can be, and a miserie of all mi­series, for a man but once to dreame of so diuers and so contrary felicities. I will touch but a few of them at this time. And that very briefely. Some there­fore [Page 84] define perfect happines, to be an ac­tion of the minde, according to vertue, in a perfect life. But by this perfect lyfe, they vnderstand this present life. VVhereas the Apostle auoucheth, that the Ser­uants of God haue their fruit in righte­ousnes, and theyr end euerlasting lyfe Ro, 6, 22.. Therefore as euerlasting death is the greatest miserie, so euerlasting life is the greatest felicity. VVhich iuerlasting life being the perfect life, is not this present life, nor in this present life, but the life to come, & in the life to come. This is, and then is, euerlasting life. Others esteeme worldly honour to bee pe [...]fect happines. But Hilary cōtrariwise affirmeth Omnis secu­li honor dia­boli est neg [...] ­tium. Canon [...] 3. in Math., That all the honour of the worlde, is the mar­chandize of the deuill, not the prize of perfection. And Eucherius also sayth, That the honors of the worlde, are the waues of the world Honores mūdi, tumo­res mundi. E­pist. paraene. de contemp. mund., which Christ dyd teach vs to cōtemne, & tread vnder our feet, when he himselfe did walk vpō the water Mar. 6, 48. For so the very heathenish Ro­mans did. They had for the difference of their nobilitie a little ornament in the forme of a moone, which they did wear vpon theyr shooes Isidorus calc [...]os luna­tos senatorū vocat, ad [...] que Romul [...] calceos patri­cios reperisse, assuta luna. Sigo. de Iudi lib. cap. 20.. VVhat did they but think all worldly honor very muta­ble, [Page 85] vvhen they did represent it in the forme of a moone? And what dyd they but tread it vnder their feete, when they did weare it vpon their shooes? Nowe we that are Christians see, and ought to see our calling better then they. Howe that not many vvise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not manie noble, are called. But that we must aswel by dishonour 2 Cor. 6. 8, as by honour enter into eternall glory. Some others imagin that carnall pleasure is perfect happines. But what saith the Apostle? Meates for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God will destroy both it and them 1, Cor, 6, 13.. Meates for the belly. That is true, we doe eate to lyue. And the belly for meates. That is false, VVee doe not lyue, to eate. Therfore GOD will destroy both it and them. Both the belly, & the meates of all Epicures. Because they thinke their belly is made for meates Macho­metus credi­dit beatitu­dinem consi­stere in cibo, potu, & de­lectationibus corporalibus. Ioh. Galen­sis Anglus. l. de orig. Mach. cap. 5., whereas indeede onely meates are made for their belly. Because they thinke they may liue to eate Nihil a­liud putant esse vitā nisi vescendi & potandi licē ­tiam. Firmi­cus in lib. de errore profa. relig., vvhereas indeede onely they may eate to liue. For the prize of our hie calling is not meate or drinke (or any carnall pleasure) but righteousnes and peace, & ioy in the holy Ghost.

[Page 86] Others account transitory riches to be perfect happines. And certainly, if wee vse our riches well, as diuers worthy Ci­tizens of this Citty haue done, to the maintenance of learning, to the building of Hospitals, & to such other good pur­poses, then riches (I graunt) are a great helpe to a vertuous mind, and a speciall furtherance to felicity. Otherwise that complaint of Saluianus may take place euen in those our times Tanta est miseria huius temporis, vt nullus habea­tur magis fae­lix quam qui est plurimum diues. De gu­ber. lib. 3.. Our times are so miserable (sayth hee) that now a­daies no man is thought to be more hap­pie, then hee that is knowne to be most wealthie. And that also of Innocen­tius [...]r [...]h pu [...] ­or, secundū fortunam aes­timatur per­sona, quum [...]otius secun­lum personā estimandae sit fortuna. Tam [...]onus reputa­ [...]ur quam di­ [...]es, tam ma­lus quā pau­per, cum po­tius tam di­ues sit repu­ta [...]dus quam bonus, tam pauper, quam malus De cōtem. mundi. l. 1, c. 16. Fie for shame (saith he) now a­dayes a man is esteemed according to his money, whereas rather the money should bee esteemed according to the man. Euery one is reputed worthy if he be wealthy, and naught if he be needy, whereas rather euery one should be re­puted wealthy if he be worthy, and nee­die if hee be naught. For questionlesse riches of themselues doe encumber and entangle the mind, euen as an Ape is tied and teddered to his clogge. VVe reade according to the Greek translation, that Abraham was very rich. But there is a [Page 87] Latine translation, which saith, that A­braham was very heauy. And the origi­nall Hebrew Gen. 13, 2 Chauedh. indifferentlie beareth both. VVhich proueth, that riches are a heauie burthen, and doe many times hinder them very much, which would attaine to blessednes. Yea if thou set thy heart vpon them, they will likewise set themselues vpon thy hart, and lie so hea­uily vpon thy hart, that they will presse, and way thee downe with thy hart into hell. Therfore diuers holy men and wo­men heretofore haue voluntarily aban­doned their wealth, and preferred po­uerty before it, that they might the soo­ner & the easier come to perfection. For as it is hard for a Periwinkle in the sea to swim, or for a Snayle vpon the land to creepe, while they beare their houses vpon their backs Domi [...]or­ta.: euen so it [...]s hard for a rich man that trusteth in his riches, with all his big bunches of wealth vpon his back, to goe through the needles eye Mar. 10, 25, and to enter into the kingdom of hea­uen. VVherefore we must follow hard toward the mark (not for any action in this life, but) for euerlasting life▪ (not for any worldly honour, but) for eternall glo­rie: (not for any carnall pleasure, but) [Page 88] for ioy in the holy Ghost: (not for anie transitory treasure, but) for the kingdom of heauen: (not for any other prize, but) For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus.

This euerlasting life, is the onely per­fect life, because it is the prize: this eter­nall glory is the onely high honour, be­cause it is of the high calling: this ioy in the holy Ghost is the onely godly plea­sure, because it is of God: this kingdome of heauen, is the onely Christian trea­sure, because it is in Christ Iesus. This (I say) this euerlasting life, is the onely per­fect life, because it is the prize. VVhich maketh the Marchant-venturer, that gets it, most absolutely blessed. As the Psalmist, sayth Psa. 127, 1, speaking of another, Blessed art thou, that fearest God, and walkest in his waies. For thou shalt eate the labour of thy hands. O well art thou, and happy shalt thou be! O well art thou! For thou hast feared God, and walked in his waies, for thou hast followed hard, toward the marke. And happy shalt thou be! for thou shalt eate the labour of thy hands; for thou shalt haue, by the gra­cious gift of God, euerlasting life, the onely perfect life, The prize of the high [Page 89] calling of GOD in Christ Iesus. As the Apostle sayth 2, Ti. 4. 8. Rom. 6, 22., speaking of himselfe, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the fayth. There is hence-forth layde vp for mee the crowne of righteous­nesse. O well art thou, aud happie shalt thou bee! O well art thou! For thou hast finished thy course, and kept the fayth; for thou hast followed hard, towarde the marke. And happie shalt thou bee! for there is hence-forth layde vp for thee, the crowne of righteous­nesse; for there is hence-forth layde vp for thee euerlasting life, the onelie perfect lyfe. The prize of the high cal­ling of GOD in Christ Iesus. Thys eter­nall glorie is the onely high honour, be­cause it is of the high calling. For all of the visible Church, haue a calling. See­ing the Church is nothing else, but the companie of them which are called [...]. Cyril. Hiero­soty [...]: 18.. Yet all that are called, are not worthie of this calling. Seeing many make ex­cuses, and will not come, when they are called Lu. 14, 8. Therefore Saint Peter prayeth for the dispiersed Iewes a 1. Pe. 1, 10, That the God of all grace, which hath called them to his eternall glory, would make them perfect, confirme, strengthen, [Page 90] and establish them therein. And S. Paul likewise prayeth for the Thessalonians 2. Thes. 1 11., That God would make them worthy of his calling (to eternull glory) and per­fect al the good pleasure of his goodnes, and the work of faith in them. VVhere­by wee see that they are the onely wor­thies of the world, which are so happy, as to haue this high honour, and dignity [...]. Dignitatem. Bez [...]. Io. 1, 12. giuen them, to be called the sonnes of God. VVhich was prefigured in the seeling of the temple. VVhere were gra­uen palme-trees and chaynes 2, Chr. 3, 5. The palme-tree is high, the chayne is calling. The palme-tree chayne, the high cal­ling. For God the Father by his effec­tuall calling, as by a strong chayne Ioh. 6. 44., doth draw his children to Christ. And then standing before the Lambe, they hold palmes in their hands Reue. 7, 9., which are the ensignes of their honour. So that be­ing drawne vp to the high palme-tree by the calling chayne, they are made partakers of eternall glory, the only high honour, The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. This ioy in the holie Ghost is the only godly pleasure, because it is of God. Indeede sometimes euen in this life we haue a tast Can. 8, 2 ▪ (as it were) of [Page 91] this ioy. As the Israelites had a tast of the Grapes and other pleasures of Canaan before they came thither Num. 13 14.. But wee cannot enioy the full fruition of it vntill we come to the presence of God. There­fore Dauid sayth Psa. 36, 12, In thy presence is the fulnes of ioy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore. And againe, They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thy house, and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures Psal. 36, 8. For this fatnes of the house of God is that meate, and this riuer of the pleasures of God; is that drinke, which shall perfect­ly satisfie; and fill our harts with ioy in the holy Ghost. VVhen the Lord shall say to euery one of vs, Enter thou into thy Lords ioy Mat, 25, 23.. Not, [...]et thy Lords ioy en­ter into thee. For it is so great, that it can not enter into thee, thy hart cannot hold it Nō ergo to­tum illud gaudium in­trabit in gau dentes, sed to [...] gaudentes intrabunt in gaudium do­mini sui Au. Manua. c. 36. But, Enter thou into the Lords ioy. For thou shalt euen bathe thy selfe in blessednes, and swim in the bottomlesse st of the sweet pleasure of God, as a little fish taketh his pastime in the huge Ocean Sea. And looke how hee that hath once tasted of the fountaine named Clitoriu [...] fons, will neuer afterward drink any wine Clitorio quicunque si tim de fonte leuarit, Vina fugit, gau­detque meris abstemius vndis. Ouid. Meta. 15. In Arcadia ci­uitas est non ignota Clitor I, in c [...]ius a­gris est spe­lunca pro [...]u­ens aquae, quam qui bi­beri [...]t fiunt abstemij V [...] ­tr [...]ius lib. 8 cap. 3.: in like sort when thou [Page 92] hast once tasted this pure christall water of life, thou shalt neuer any more relish the wine of the world, but be perfectly delighted with ioy in the holy Ghost, the only godly pleasure, The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. This king­dome of heauen in the only Christian trea­sure, because it is in Christ Iesus. For all treasures which are layd vp in earth may be stollen with theeues, or corrupted with cankers Mat. 6, 19.. But this treasure is an enduring substance Heb. 10, 34. hoorded vp in heauen, where neyther theefe stealeth, nor cankar corrupteth V [...]ras diuitias illam prorsus im­mortalē gl [...] ­riam super­noruque bo­norum retri buti [...]em ess▪ existimamus Cyril in Ge­nes. lib 5, in fine. Therefore the kingdome of heauen is likened to a treasure hidden in the field Mat. 13, 44.. And the field is Christ Iesus Thesaurus in agro ab­sconditus, de­us est latens in carne sua Vigilius eon Eutych. lib. 3 cap. 3., in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge [...].. O blessed then, O blessed is the man that findeth this wise­dome, and the man that getteth this knowledge. Pro. 3, 13.. Because the marchandize therof is better then siluer, and the gaine therof is better then gold [...]. Clem [...]ns in Protrep p. 32. It is more pretious then pearles, and all thinges that thou canst desire are not to [...] bee compared vnto it [...].. Yea doubtlesse (sayes one) I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of [Page 93] Christ Iesus my Lord. O wise! O wor­thy! O holy! O heauenly Marchant! Heere is a frank chapman indeed, which prizeth the kingdom of heauen according to the right worth and true value of it. Knowing that this Christian treasure was bought and purchased for him, not with corruptible things, as siluer▪ or gold, or such like, but with the most deare, and pretious blood of Christ 1, Pe. 1, 18.. For whom (saies he) I haue counted al things losse, and doe iudge them to be doung that I may gayne Christ Phil. 3. 8. For Christ Iesus onely is the wisedome of his Father; and by him onely we come to the knowledge of God. Hee is the wisedome of his Father, because hee doth giue vs grace in this life, that we may be wise vnto saluation, and see the Father by fayth, and receiue the earnest of our inheritance Eph 1, 14. By him wee come to the knowledge of God, because hee will giue vs glorie in the lyfe to come, that we may know, as we are knowne, and behold GOD face to face, and receaue, not onely the ear­nest-peny, or the pledge-peny, but also the prize-peny, or the possession-peny of perfection Mat. 20, 10. So that Christ Iesus is, the Alpha, and the Omega, the beginner, [Page 94] and the ender of our perfection Reu. 1. 8, the author, and the finisher of our faith; who for the ioy which was set before him; en­dured the crosse, and despised the shame; and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12, 2.. He is the authour, and finisher of of our faith, that is, our fore-runner He. 6, 20.. and marke: who, for the ioy which was set before him; that is, for the kingdome of heauen, the onely Christian treasure, The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus: endured the crosse, and des­pised the shame; that's againe, followed hard, toward the marke: and is set at the right hand of the throne of God; that's a­gaine, and is now possessed of the king­dome of heauen, the onely Christian trea­sure, The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. Loe ye, loe ye, whether we are now come. So high that we can goe no higher. Namely, to the right hand of the throne of God. VVhich is, euerlasting life: eternall glory: ioy in the holy Ghost: the kingdome of heauen; The prize: of the high calling: of God: in Christ Iesus. For this rich throne of God, is that yuory throne of Salomon, wherof I spake in the beginning. VVhich is the onely perfect life: the onely high honour: [Page 95] the only godly pleasure: the only Chri­stian treasure; The prize: of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. This is the sixt, and last degree to perfection.

NOw then, my deare brethren, let vs heare, if it please you, pause a while, and seriously consider how Christ prayed for his chosen, that they might be made perfect in one Ioh. 17, 23. That they might bend the whole forces of all their actions and affections to this one thing, namely, to the attayning of perfect bles­sednes, or (if you had rather so call it) of blessed perfection. And therefore for­getting that which is behind, and leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ Heb. 6, 1.; let vs Endeuour our selues to that which is before, and be led on forward vnto perfection. Yea let vs follow hard, and runne with patience the race that is set before vs Heb. 12, 1.; looking vnto Iesu:, who is our marke, and hath giuen vs an ex­ample Ioh. 13, 15. That euery one of vs might say vnto him with good Dauid, I haue applyed my hart ro fulfill thy statutes, Psal. 119, 112. Legholāghe chebh. Heb. [...]. Septagin [...]. Propter aeter­nam retribu­tionē vulga., for the eternall recompence of reward; for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. Tell me (beloued) I be­seech [Page 96] you, if it wil be no great trouble to you, as I trust it will not, tell mee, I pray you, wherfore sayes the same Dauid Ps. 86, 11 lached leua­ui. Cald. Vnicū fac cormeum. Hi [...]., speaking to God, O knit my hart vnto thee, that I may feare thy name, but on­ly to teach vs, that, But one thing, is the first degree to perfection? For whereas we vsually reade it, O knit my hart vn­to thee, that I may feare thy name, the Chaldee paraphrast & S. Ierom trans­late it, O make my heart but onely one hart, that I may feare thy name. So that a man cannot any way, so much as en­ter into the feare of Gods name, which is the beginning of all perfection, except first his hart be made one in it selfe, and one in GOD, that hee may principally minde but one thing. Almighty God concerning the East gate of the Temple sayth thus, This gate shall be shut, and shall not bee opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lorde God of Israell hath entred by it Ezec. 44, 2. Here-throgh signifying, that although the heart of a Christian, which is the temple of the holy Ghost, may let many things enter into it at other gates, yet it must keepe the East gate, the most illuminate and highest power & part of it, continuallie [Page 97] shut against all men, yea against all the world, and opened onely to one thing, I meane to God, who hath already en­tred into it, and enlightened it with his spirit. That as at the window of Noahs Arke, there entred in, no mist, no water, nothing else but one thing onely, which is light Gen. 6, 16 Fenestra di­citur Zohar, quia non ali­ud quam me ridia [...]em lu­cem recipit. Et Esay 54, 12. Shema­shah, quia so lum solem in­tromittiv. ▪ so at this East gate, no mist of humaine errors, no water of worldly cares may enter in; but onely the light of heauen, and a sanctified desire, to be fast knit, and perfectly vnited, by faith and loue to God. Hence it is that Mo­ses, comming to talke with God vpon the mountaine, was commaunded to bring no man with him, but to come vp himselfe alone Ex. 24, 18.. Nay more-ouer being vpon the mountaine alone, he was co­uered and compassed about with a thick cloude, which made him feare the name of the Lord, and hooded him, as I may say, in such sort, that hee could see no­thing, but one thing, which was God. And therefore the Psalmist sayth, O make my heart like Moses heart, when he was vpon the mountaine: O make my heart like the windowe of Noahs Arke, and the East gate of the temple: O make my heart but onely one heart, [Page 98] one in it selfe & one in thee: O knit my heart vnto thee, that I may feare thy name. Tell me, wherefore sayes Christ Can. 7, 4, speaking to his spouse, Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon, but onley to teach vs, that I forget that which is be­hind, is the second degree to perfection? For seeing Christ is nowe risen againe, and ascended vp into heauen, which is the high tower of Lebanon, therefore wee which are the Saints of God, must not bee like the Idols of the heathen, which haue noses and smell not, but we must haue noses like the tower of Le­banon Si verbe rum faciem consideremus quid poterit magis diei ri­diculum? E [...] go spiritua [...] requirunt in­telligentiam Titelm [...]u [...] in hunc locū, which forgetting all earthlie things and leauing them behind, must smell and seeke those things which are aboue. God appoynted Gedeon to dismisse all those of his army which bo­wed downe their knees to drink, and to retaine onely those which lapped water out of their hands, as a dogge lappeth Iudg. 7, 5. Because hee which drinketh vpon his knees like an Oxe, cannot possibly goe forward while hee drinketh. But hee which with some of the Polonians [...]. Clem. Alex and. Stro. lib 1, pag. 110., or with that dogge Diogenes [...]. Laerti­us in Dioge., lap­peth water out of his hands, may neuer­thelesse goe forward while he lappeth, as [Page 99] an Egyptian dogge doth, while he lap­peth the water of Nilus Ae [...]ypti canes e Nilo n [...]nquaem [...] lam­bitant Soli­nus Po [...]yhist. cap 20.. And like as a lustie hound of a good kind, ordereth his going so well P [...]. 30. 31, that though hee haue runne ouer very many fields, and through a thousand thickets alreadie, yet hee neuer remembreth any labour which is behind, but forgetteth it; and if he chance to lap water in some brook by the way Ps. 110, 7 De torrente in via bibet., yet euen while he lap­peth he lifteth vp his head, and stil goeth on, and plieth him forward to his gaine: so must wee doe in this pursuite of per­fection. Seeing Christ hath now sprink­led all the way betweene heauen and earth with his blood, and so hath made it a fresh and a liuing way He. 10, 20 [...]., therfore we which haue noses like the tower of Le­banon, must as blood-hounds trace him by the foote, & run after him in the smel of his oyntment Can. 1, 4 [...]. Septuagint., & hunt hotly vpon this fresh & liuing way, with a fresh and liuely faith: & though we haue gone ve­ry far, & done a thousand goods deeds already, yet we must alwayes forget that which is behind, till we haúe gotte, if not the childrens bread, yet, at the leastwise, some little crum of mercy, that fals from our Maisters table, some little drop of [Page 100] blood, that falls from our Lordes side, which shall I assure you be sufficient, to make vs perfect men in Christ. Tell me, wherefore was the altar of perfume set within the Sanctuary Exo. 36, 6, but onely to teach vs, that And endeuour my selfe to that which is before, is the third degree to perfection? For euen as that altar of perfume was placed, not in any com­mon roome, or in any odde corner of the tabernacle, but in the Sanctuary it selfe, somewhat beyond the vaile, close to the golden censer Heb. 9, 4 very neere the mercy seate: so a Christian hart which is a spirituall altar of perfume and of a sweet sauiour to God 2, Cor. 2 15., must daily en­deuour it selfe to that which is before, and still more and more aspire to hea­uenly things Beda de tabernaculo. l. 3 c. 1, 11., and alwayes neerer and neerer aproach vnto the throne of grace, and continually higher & higher aduance it selfe to him that is the highest and holiest of all. Tell me wherfore did the Israelites, when they had pitched in Mithkah, remoue their tents frō thence and pitch in Cashmonah Nu. 33. 29 but onely to teach vs, that And followe hard is the fourth degree to perfection? For euen as they, as soone as they had pitched in [Page 101] Mithkah, which signifies sweetnes, by and by remoued their tents frō thence, and pitched in Cashmonah, which sig­nifies swiftnes: so we must ioyne, Mith­kah and Chashmonah, sweetnes & swift­nes both together Hierony. Ep. ad Fal [...] ­lam. Mansi­one. 26., & as soone as we haue pitched in Mithkah, as soone as we haue tasted & seene how sweet the Lord is, presently wee must remoue our tents from thence, and pitch in Chashmonah, presently we must follow hard, and run, not only sweetly, but also swiftly, in this way of peace which leadeth vnto life. Tell me, wherfore saies Christ againe Can. 4, 13, speaking of the praise of his spouse, Thy plants are as an Orchard of Pomegra­nates, but only to teach vs, that toward the mark, is the fift degree to perfection? For a Pomegranate hath many graynes within him in his case, and a little round circle or a crown without him vpon his head. Now these graynes being sweet in tast and red in colour, are orderly set one by another, and poynt vp, or as it were looke vp, altogether to the crown. To intimate thus much, that wee which are plants of the Church, as an Orchard of Pomegranates, must grow on still to­ward the mark, not only when we enioy [Page 102] the sweet tast of pleasant prosperity, but also when wee beare the red colour of bloody persecution Memini [...] malograna­torum quod rubore grano­rū oblectent, & suauitate grata sint. Quod ad co­ [...]rem, ad ar­dentem eccle­siae charitatē referri potest. Mercerus. Ma [...]a punic [...] sanguineo rubent colore scilicet Mar­tyres Haigri­nus in cant. l 7. Idem Be­da, & Haim [...] [...]abent in com. in hunc locum.: & consenting in a kind of conformity and perfect peace and vnity one with another, wee must poynt vp altogether with the finger of faith to Christ, and looke vp continually with the eye of loue to our head, who by being first crossed is now come to be crowned with honour and glory. In the arke of the couenant there was; the gol­den pot that had Manna; and Aarons rod that had budded; and the tables of the testament; and the propitiatory or couering; and a crowne of gold round about it Heb. 9. 4. Exo. 25, 11.. O how notably and maruei­lously do these things sort and agree to­gether! The pomegranate and the ark: the sweete tast, and the pot of Manna: the red colour, and the rod of Aaron: the order of the graynes, and the tables of the testament: the head of the pome­granate, and the couering of the ark: the crowne vpon that head, and the crowne about this couering. To inhinuate thus much, that we which are like an orchard of pomegranates, must also be like the arke of the couenant, being builded and reared vp still toward the mark, not only [Page 103] when our Lorde feedeth vs with the sweete Manna of his mercie, but also when he afflicteth vs with the sharp rod of his correction: and alwayes keeping the tables of the testament, which are the commandements of perfect loue to God and to our neighbour Gnulle­maijc malion piccudhaia ha [...]erimmo nin Thar­gum. Iuue­nes, tui pleni praeceptis si­cut malegra­nata. Mon­tanus,, that by faith in Christ, who is the couering and the propitiation for our sinnes, we may obtaine the golden crowne of life. King Darius vpon a time by chance opening a great pomegranate, and being deman­ded of what hee would wish to haue as manie as there were graynes in that pomegranate? answered in one word, of Zopyrusses [...]. Plut. [...]nitio Apoth. Regum.. Now Zopyrus was a right noble and a valiant Knight, who seeing the King his master could hardly surprize Babylon, where the trayterous Assirians were entrenched, bethought himselfe of a wonderful strange practise. He went home to his owne house, and caused his sernants to rent his whole bo­die all ouer with scourging him, and to cut off his nose, his lips, & his eares Domi se verberibus lacerari toto corpore inbe [...] nasum & la, bia, & aure [...] sibi praecidi▪ Iustin. li. 1. in fine.. Then straightwaies running to Babilon, he made the Assyrians beleeue that Da­rius had misused him in this s [...]rt, because he had spoken in their behalfe, counsel­ling [Page 104] him to breake vp his siege, and to remoue his armie from assaulting their Citty [...]. Herodotus. l. 3, Thalia in fine.. They hearing this tale, and the rather thinking it to be true, because they saw him so shamefully disfigured in his bodie, were perswaded to make him their chiefe Captayne. By which meanes he betrayed them all, & surren­dred both them, and their City into his masters hands. O most faithfull and lo­uing subiect! O most worthy and cou­ragious hart! One Pomegranate full of such graynes, yea euen one grayne full of such valour and vertue, is suffi [...]ient for a whole Country, either to recouer it if it be lost, or to keepe it that it be not lost. O that I could tell where to finde such a man! O that I could tel where to see but one such amongst vs all! I wold, I assure you, honor the very ground he goes vpon, and kisse euen the shadow of his feet. VVell (beloued) I pray God, I pray God with all my heart, that her sa­cred Maiestie, whom the Lord for his glory sake alwaies shield & defend, that her sacred Maiesty I say may finde very many, yea may see vs al, as true to God, to her, and to our Countrey, as Zopirus was to his prince. That if any time of tri­all [Page 105] should come, vve may haue so much will, and holy manhoode in vs, as to put our selues vpon the pykes, & ieopard a ioynt, yea venter the martyring and mangling of our whole body, and euen the losing of our liues, rather the either forraine enemies, or home-bred rebels should haue theyr wils of vs. Knowing that our life is frayle and mortall, & wee may dye euery moment, but for a man to do some notable peece of seruice be­fore he dye, and to sheath his sworde in the sides of his enemies, and to kill if it be but one that is a sworne rebell, to his God, to his Prince, and to his countrie; this indeede is a most honourable and a most glorious thing, this is it which shal be chronicled, and registred, & remem­bred, yea and rewarded for euer. But [...]o return to the Marke againe. VVe which are plants of the Church like an or [...]hard of pomegranats, & like the arke of the couenant, must loue, not only the head of the pomegranate, & the couering of the arke; but also the order of the grains & the tables of the testament▪ not one­ly the sweete taste, and the pot of man­na; but also the red colour, and the rod of Aaron. It is a myracle, and would a­maze [Page 106] any man to consider, how zealous the Christians▪ were in the Primitiue Church; how vnsatiably they thirsted after the crowne of martirdome; what [...] with Zopyrus, what rackings, what wild beasts, what broylings, they endu­red. How in a manner, if I durst say so, they suffered almost as horrible tormēts when they dyed for Christ, as Christ did when he dyed for them. VVell, well, so great, and so absolute▪ and so excellent, and so admirable perfection, is not now required at our hands▪ Yet this by your good leaue & fauor I wil be bold to say, That we can neuer be perfect Christians indeede, and runne toward the marke [...]right, except at the loast wise we haue that in resolution, which they did put in execution. Except, if need require 1, Pe. 1, 6 wee that are faithfull, can finde in our hearts, to doe that and to suffer that, for batred of the spirituall Babilon, and for loue of our heauen by Lord; which Zopi­ [...]us an infidell, did, and suffered, for ha­tred of the earthly Babilon, and for loue of a mortall King▪ Except wee can be content, not only to be white [...], by liuing purely and patiently in those af­flictions and crosses, whereof our mise­rable [Page 107] life is full, which is in some sort a kind of martirdome Est quae­dam sangui [...]nis effusio, afflictio. Ber­nard Nō pu­temus effusionem sanguinis tantum esse Martiri­um. Semper Martyrium est. Caesarius Arelatensis Hom 21, Si­ne serro Ma [...]tyres esse pos­sumus si patientiam in a­nim [...] veraci­ter conserue­mus. Gregor Omnis piorū vita testimo­nium reddit Deo. Cypria de dup. Mar­tyrio initio. vide locum.: but also to be red Roses, by dying constantly and ioy­fully for the truth, if the good pleasure of God should so appoynt it 1, Pet. 3 17., and by making our garments red in the bloud of Grapes Ge. 49, 11., which is the most perfect martyrdome, and commeth neerest of all to the marke, Duplex est species Martyrij, v­na quando quis pro Chri­sto occiditur: a [...]la quand [...] caro pro deo maceratur. Primo dabi­tur corona d [...] rosis, secunde de lilijs. H [...]e. Erat ante ec­clesiaa operi [...]bus fratrum candida nun [...] facta est in Martyrum cruore purpu [...]rea. [...] [...]. 2, Ep. 6, p. 44, that so Christ may rightly say to his Church here amongst vs, Thy plants are as an Orchard of pomegranates: Tell me wherfore sayes Dauid againe, speaking of the oath of God Ps. 10 [...] 10, He appoynted the same vnto Ia­cob for a law, and vnto Israell for an e­uerlasting testament, but onely to teach vs, that for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus, is the sixt and last de­gree to perfection? For Iacob and Israel are two seuerall names, and yet they sig­nifie but one singular man. Neuerthe­lesse in a diuers respect, Because Iacob is he that supplanteth or wrastleth: Isra­ell is he that seeth or beholdeth God [...] Inition. [...]. Now Iacob supplanting or wrastling is a subiect or a seruant: Israell seeing or beholding God, is a friend or a sonne. This is confirmed by Baruch, saying Baru. 3, 36, God hath found out the way of know­ledge, [Page 108] and hath giuen it vnto Iacob his seruaunt, & vnto Israell his beloued. So that Iacob is only a faithful seruant: but Israel is a beloued sonne. Therefore there is appoynted vnto Iacob a law: but vn­to Israel an euerlasting testament. See­ing a law Lex. Vul., or a statute Koah. Heb., or a de­cree Gheza­rah. Caldai. or a precept [...] Septuagint., properly belongs to Iacob, a subiect or a seruant, but a te­stament [...]. Septuagint., or a couenant Berith. Heb., or an a­greement Keiā. Ca, or an accord Pactum. Vulga [...]a. properlie belongs to Israell, a friend or a son. For as long as Iacob vvrastleth with manie great imperfections and spiritual aduer­saries in this life, he must as a faithful subiect or seruant of God, keep the lawe of wrastling [...]. 2. Tim, 2, 5. appointed vnto him; to wit, that he minde but one thing▪ & forget that which is behind, and endeuour him­selfe to that which is before; & followe hard; toward the marke; but when Is­rael hath once ouercome all his worldly & ghostly enemies, & is become a per­fect man in Christ, & seeth the Lord in the life to come, then he shall as a belo­ued friend or child of God, possesse that inheritance, vvhich the father hath by his euerlasting testament written vvith the bloud of Christ Iesus [...]. Heb. 13, 20., appointed [Page 109] vnto him, to wit, euerlasting life; eternal glory: ioy in the holy Ghost; the kingdome of heauen. The prize; of the high calling; of God; in Christ Iesus. O happy, happy man art thou, and thrice happy man art thou, whosoeuer thou art, which vvith Iacob dost wrastle, & keep the law, as a faithfull seruaunt, for no other ende, but only this, that with Israel thou maist see God, & enioy the euerlasting testamēt, as a beloued son. For when wee shall see God, we shal see: and what shal we see? That which no mortall eye hath seene, that we shall see. VVe shall see our own selues sitting & shining at the right hand of the throne of Maiestie. VVe shal see all our deere friends which we haue not seene this many a day, embracing vs, & welcomming vs into Christs kingdom. VVee shall see all the noble armie, of Martyrs, of Apostles, of Prophets, of Patriarkes, shouting day and night, and singing out the praises of the lord. VVe shall see all the inuincible hoast of An­gels, of Archangels, of Principalities, of Dominations, reuerently attending vp­on the king of glory. VVee shall see the king himselfe Christ Iesus, disparkling & displaying those beames of beautie, [Page 110] which are the heauens vvonder, and all the Angels blisse. If there were no we a­mongst vs one as faire as euer Absolon was▪ who would not be glad to beholde him? But suppose some one were tenne times as fayre as Absolon, howe then would men looke & gaze vpon him? I but if another vvere a hundred times as faire as Absolon, what a matter of ad­miration wold that make? Put the case then some one should now step forth & sh [...]we himselfe a thousande times fayrer then euer Absolon was, vvhat wonde­ring, what maruailing would there be a­mongst vs? howe would our eyes bee dazeled, how would our very mindes be amazed at this sight? VVel, al this is but a counterfeit, but a shadow, in respect of the bright-blazing beautie of our spiri­tuall spouse. For Christ Iesus is ten times fairer, yea a hundred times fayrer, yea a thousand times fayrer, yea ten hundred thousand times fayrer, then all the chil­dren of men. So that if the whole beau­tie not onely of all men, but euen of all this inferiour Globe, were put together in one, yet it would not be any way cō ­parable not onely to Christs glorie, but not so much as to the least glorified bo­die [Page 111] in heauen. And yet all this is but the outside of heauen▪ all thys wee shall see with our bodily eye. The inside and the insight is much more glorious. For the least glorified body seeing innumerable Saints and Angels more highly exalted then he is, hath his ioy doubled, & tre­bled, & beyond all measure multiplied, when he cōsidereth, that he is loued vn­speakably more, by all of them, yea by euery one of them, then hee can be by himselfe. And therefore againe seeing himselfe so deere vnto them, hee for his parte likewise as a hote burning coale is set on fire and inflamed with loue, and the more he seeth any other excell him in glory, the more doth he reioyce, and is gladder of his glory, then his owne. But now when hee lifteth vp his eyes to the glorious Trinitie, and seeth how the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, doe eternally and perfectly loue and like and enioye one another in surpassing sweetnes and content, then all his affec­tions are swallowed vp in loue, all his spirits are rauisht in delight, all his de­sires are imparadized in pleasure. In so much as if on the one side were layd the loue of Christ as he is man, and of all the [Page 112] Saints and Angels among themselues, and on the other side, the loue which the least glorified body in heauen behol­ding the blessed Trinitie breatheth out to GOD, this loue would without all comparison excell & exceed that as far, as light doth darknes, or as heauen doth the earth. VVherefore for man to see God; for Iacob to be called Israel; for him that hath bin a seruant, to becom a sonne; for him that hath kept the lawe, to enioy the testament; is the highest degree to perfection, yea it is the very perfection of perfection it selfe; The onely perfect life; the onely hye honor; the onely godly pleasure; the only chri­stian treasure. The prize: of the high cal­ling: of God; in Christ Iesus. Seeing then, blessed brethren, seeing wee fight not as they that beate the ayre 1, Cor. 9 26., but our re­warde is so great, so exceeding great in heauen Mat. 5,, therefore as Iacob wrastled all the night long and neuer gaue ouer, til about the breaking of the day he was called Israel Ge. 32, 24 so let vs wrastle all the night long of this life Mar. 13. 35., & neuer giue ouer til the day breake, & the shadowes flye away Can. 4. 6. and we come to the mar­uailous light & sight of God. And like [Page 113] as the same Iacob sayde to the Angell, I will not let thee goe, except thou blesse me Gen. 32, 26. ▪ euen so let euerie true Israelite say to Christ, I tooke hold of him, and left him not Can. 3, 4.. O Lord Ie­sus, who would leaue thee? or who would let thee goe? or rather who would not hold thee fast? which streng­thenest him that holdeth thee fast, and makest him perseuere, that is streng­thened, and crownest him that perseue­reth, and makest him perfect that is crowned. Therefore I will hold thee fast, and will not let thee goe, except thou blesse me, that is indeede, I will neuer let thee goe, because thou doest neuer blesse but onely those that al­wayes hold thee fast. Holde fast then, and Stand fast, good beloued, once a­gaine I say. Hold fast that which you haue, that no man take your crowne from you Reu. 3. 11,. Stand fast in that liberty, whereby Christ hath made you free, and be not any more entangled with the yoke of bondage Gala, 5, 1▪. But so runne, so runne, as yee may attayne 1, Cor. 9 24.. As yee may attayne? Howe [...] Nilus in Pa­raene circamed. is that? Mary faithfully, patiently, constantly vnto the ende. A shame it would be, and a [Page 114] vile shame for vs, if it should be sayd of vs, not, you doe runne well, but, you did runne well Gala 5, 7,. [...]ye vpon it. Hauing been hetherto brought vp in skarlet, shall wee now embrace the dung Lam. 4, 5? Shall we be like those antickes or monsters, which are halfe men and halfe beasts [...]. Niss [...]nus, l. [...] Illa actio Chym [...]ra est quae initium habet a rati­one sinem a sensualitate. Cū igitur sic agitur hum no capiti cer­uicem pictor depingit equ [...]nam. Innocē. Eleemo c 6. Operare igitur perse­uerantur ne (vt Horatius ait) Desinat in piscē mul. ter for­mesa superne. Ne­brissensis. H [...]. 2, in fine.? Shall wee be like Nabuchadnez­zars image which had a head of gold and feete of clay Dan. 3, 33? Shall wee begin in the spirit and ende in the flesh (p)? God forbid. God for his mercie sake keepe vs from such fearfull falling from him. Nay rather let vs remember, that Ioseph signifieth encreasing, and Ari­mathea signifieth getting the reward [...]. Theo in c. 15. in Mar., to teach vs that if wee would bee like to Ioseph of Arimathea, wee must alwayes encrease and goe on till we get the reward. The other Ioseph also had a coate reaching downe to his feete Aquila in­terpretatus est [...]. id est tunicā tala­rem. Hier. in Quaest. Heb. in Genesus. Ioseph typum ecclesiae prae­tendens, ves­tis suae habi­tu perseuerā ­tiā certami­nie habere nos admonet, cuius longi­tudo rs (que) [...] eius peruenit. Tan­qā diceretur, Antequā ite [...] perficias, noli in vita lates­cere. Auober­tus in cap. 2 Apocalyp., to teach vs that we must not haue skar­let about our head and dung about our feete, not gold about our head and clay about our feete, but that vvhen we put on the Lord Iesus, we must put on such a skarlet robe of righteousnesse, such a golden garment of grace, such a vesture of a godlie and vertuous lyfe, such a [Page 115] coate of a holy and heauenly conuersa­tion; as may reach to the feete, as may continue to the end: considering our Sauiour hath sayd, He that perseuereth vnto the end shall be saued: and againe, Be faithfull vnto death, and I will giue thee the crowne of life. This crowne of lyfe is promised to all those which make a good beginning, but performed onely to those which make a good en­ding Non campo capitur, sed­fine corona Pros. Sapien­tia in exitu canitur. qui [...] laudari peni­tus anteact [...] vitae pruden­tia non mer [...]bitur, nisi bo­no fine clau­datur. Sal­uia. ad Ec­cle. lib. 4.. And they which runne in a race runne all, yet one onely, that is he which holdeth out to the end, receiueth the prize 1. Cor. 9.. And none are saued but such as are marked in theyr foreheads with the letter Tau, which is the note of perseuera [...]ce and perfection Eze, 9, 6, And if we would be conformable to the crosse of Christ, the liuely picture of all per­fection, wee must be like vnto it, not onely in the depth of faith, and in the height of hope, and in the breadth of charity, but also in the length of perse­uerance Eph, 3, 18, Because all the depth, height, and breadth of the crosse is no­thing without the length: and so all the faith, hope, and charity of a Christian, is to no purpose without continuance in them euen vnto the end. VVhere­fore [Page 116] (my good brethren) yet once a­gaine I will say, and then I will say no more, Let vs drawe neere vnto God with a true heart in assurance of faith He. 10. 23,: and let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering Verse, 23,: and let vs consider one another to prouoke vn­to charity and to good workes Verse, 24. and so much the more, because wee see the breaking of the day draweth neere Verse, 25, and the kingdome of heauen is at hand. There is a Greeke word signifying the ende of a race, which is deriued of ano­ther Greeke word signifying to spurre or pricke on forward [...]. He­sych. verbo. Nu [...]ea. Idem habet Pollux. l. 3. c. 30. & Theodoret. de Pro. ui. lib. 9. circa intium, vbi hunc textum recitat. VVhich pro­ueth, that as they which runne theyr horses for a wager, spurre hardest at the races end [...]. Chrysost. so seeing our saluation is neerer now then euer it was Ro. 13. 11, there­fore wee must runne faster now then e­uer wee did [...]; Laert. in Dio. Especially because the very horse and mule and diuers other bruite beasts which haue no vnderstan­ding, though they haue beene neuer so much wearied and tyred before, yet when they come neere home they will mend their pace Pecoribus sagitatis quo­que veloci [...]r domū gradu est Senaca de tranquilli. vitae. lib. 1. cap. 1.. And therefore the more to blame should we be, if hauing trauailed thus far already in the way to perfection, and being come by this time [Page 117] almost to our iournies end, wee should now goe no further, when in deed we ought if it be possible, to run much fa­ster to our euerlasting home in heauen. O beloued, all the Saints in heauē think long, yea they think of vs, & they long for vs Ergo quia omnis caelestis curia expec­tat nos, et de­siderat, desideremus iam quanto possu­mus deside­rio. vide quae­so Bernard. medit. cap. 6, and they earnestly desire to be perfected with vs, because they cer­tainely knowe they cannot be perfected without vs He. 11. 40. The holy Angels also as they blush, and holde downe theyr heads, vvhen they see vs stumble, or trippe neuer so little: so on the other side, they shoute, and clap their hands when they see vs runne cheerefully in a good course, and come away apace to perfection. Lastly, Christ himselfe doth stand wayting for vs, and beckning to vs, and hartning vs on all the way, be­ing readie to receiue vs, and to imbrace vs in the armes of his louing mercy, as soone as euer wee come to the ende of our race. For euen as a royall King, when one of his nobles returnes home, which hath in a forraine Countrey by chiualry, or feates of armes, or other like excellent parts atchieued great re­nowne to his realme, presently sendeth for him to the Court, and in open au­dience [Page 118] giueth him words of grace, and aduanceth him to high preferments and honors: so Christ our most magnifi­cent King, immediatly vpon our arri­uall into heauen out of the forraine Countrey of this world, will reach forth vnto vs his holy hand, conducting vs to the eternall tabernacles of rest, and as for all the prayers that wee haue made, all the teares that we haue shed, all the almes that we haue giuen, all the other exercises of a Christian life that we haue performed, though neuer so secretly in this pursuite of perfection, he will open­ly reward them, and most gloriouslie crowne them; vvhen as all the hoast of Angels shall triumph for our coronati­on, and the blessed Saints shall thinke themselues more perfect for our pefe [...]i­on, and all the Court of heauen shall applaude our prayses, and God him­selfe shall saye Amen to our felicities. VVhich that it may so happily come to passe, and that euery one of vs, vvhich nowe vvith Iacob vvrastleth vnto the breaking of the day, and constantlie keepeth the law appoynted vnto him, may in the ende with Israell see God, and haue the full fruition of his glorie, [Page 119] and enioy the euerlasting testament, which is The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus, graunt vvee beseech thee, O deare Lord, graunt it to vs I say, not for our owne deserts or merits, but for the tender mercies of the same, our sweete Sauiour Christ Iesus, to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, power and prayse, dignitie, and dominion, now a [...]d euermore, Amen.