COncerning the scope of this Psalme▪ there are some different opini­ons [Page 2] among divines: some refer this bles­sednes to the Pis [...]ator after R. Kimhi. Priests & Levites ministring in the tabernacle: Lyra citat doctores Hebr. o­thers say, it expresseth the desire of Israel in captivity, to re­turne and repaire the temple. Musoulus, Fabritius & Calvin. Some re­ferre it to Davids zeale & desire to re­turne (from the exile to which Saul or Abso­lon had driven him) to the tabernacle and publike worship of God. H [...]n Ains worth in Psal. Psaltes à sacris coe [...]ibus exulans, desiderium suum expo­nit: p [...]rum in ecclesia conversan­tium faelui­tatem expli­cat [...]un. Others, neere to that, say that the Prophet longing for the communion of [Page 3] the Sanctuary, shew­eth how blessed they are that dwell there­in. Vid [...]lurj [...]ihi q [...]od magis ex­primat desi­deri [...]m san­ctorum adhkc in ha [...] valle m seriae de­g [...]n [...]ium de­veniendi ad [...]a [...]d u [...] su­per [...]o [...]m civi [...]m, [...]yra Lyra is more ge­nerall: it seemeth to him, that it setteth out the desire of the Saints (yet living in this vale of misery) to attaine the ioyes of heaven. Neither doth Ergo in p [...]e [...]uris [...]. Saint Augustine seem to be of other iudge­ment, who having discoursed of the tri­bulations and pres­sures of the Saints in this life, conclu­deth, Therefore when we are under the weights of tenta [...]i [...]ns set us sound [Page 4] out this voice, and send out our desires before us, how amiable are thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts? certainely those Levites were a Church representa­tive, and a type of the whole, who be­ing a 1 Pet. 2 9 Exod. 19. 6. Rev. 5 10. Rev. 8. [...]3, 4. royall Priest­hood, an holy Nati­on, doe now daily appeare before God with our incense of Prayers, and shall ioyne in one heaven­ly quire before his throne, to which our present assembling in his publike service, doth now tune and [Page 5] prepare us. So that this Psalm may seem written, not only for the holy Pen-man thereof Fsal. 42. 1, 2. who loved and longed to re­turne to the Taber­nacle, publike ser­vice, and people of God, but also for their use, whose hearts are by the same spirit touched with a reverend love of Gods house and service, through which their faith lookes on the state of glory and blessed life to come.

The title of this [Page 6] Psalme (as of the 80.) is commonly gi­ven, Vulgar & Vatab. ad torcularia. ad torcularia, Augusi. pro torcularibus. [...], ad praecinen­dum super torcularibus. Musculus or pro torcularibus, for the wine-presses. [...]. torcular, aut instrumen­tum musi­cum torcu­lari aut vin­dem [...]ae ad­h b [...]r [...] [...]oli­tum. [...]sal. 8. 1. Targ. Cy [...]hara quam a [...]tu▪ [...]it David ex Ga [...]h, [...]um ap [...]dr [...]g [...]m Achis exu­laret. Valent. Shindler. lex. Penteglot. The word hath two significations: it signifieth either a wine-presse, or musi­call instrument, [...] the Gittith, or kinde of instrument which David brought with him from Gath. Eo quod isle Psalmus propriè [...]antabat [...]r in medio Sept [...]m. collect [...]s vindemiis—& in figuram collection [...]s Sanctorumin-regno coeloru [...]. Lyra. Ly­ra giveth this reason: This Psalme was (saith hee) wont to [Page 7] be sung about the middle of Septem­ber, when they had gathered their grapes to the presse. Deut. 16. 13, 14. Levit. 23. 34. for a figure of the gathering together the Saints, by Gods great harvesters, the Angells, into the kingdome of hea­ven: and therefore this was a feast of great ioy and reioy­cing. Deut. 16. 14, 15. as that shall be to the Elect.

This Psalme hath two parts: The first sheweth, that eternal [Page 8] Blessednesse is desira­ble above all things in this world. The second sheweth how we must attain it; by loving and frequent­ing Gods house.

Blessed are they: tru­ly blessed, how ever the beguiled world account.

That dwell in thy house, by a Synechdo­che, the house of God is put for the whole Church, whether as­sembling in the 1 Sam. 1. 3 ta­bernacle in Shiloh, or 1 Chron. 21. 29. Gibeon, the tem­ple at Ierusalem, or whereever now the [Page 9] holy word of God soundeth, and the Sacraments are truly administred in the society of Saints.

They will still be pray­sing thee: Declaring thy mercies, and li­ving to thy glory.

Selah. Wee reade this word onely in the Psalmes, and thrice in Habakkuk. Iuni [...]s & Tremel. Some give it summè, or planè: the Chalde Paraphrase, iugiter, perpetuo. The Greeks expresse it by [...], [...]. S [...]idas. which seemeth to be that which we call a change of Or as chrys [...]st. p [...]oem. in Psal, thin­keth, an ant [...]phony. the [Page 10] mood. Shindler. Pen [...]gl. The He­brew Doctours say, that [...] musicae aut melodiae in servit. It on­ly serveth for the musicall note, Vox tst non sign [...] [...] 10h. Foster. dict Hebr. and is of no signification els. I. Fo [...]ter. citat. R. David Kim­hi. com. in Ps. 3. Some thinke it importeth, certitu­dinens & veritatem. Iohn Foster followeth R. Abraham, Ben Ez [...]ra and Burgensis, addit. 3. super Psal▪ 46. Tantùm ad supplen­d [...]m modu­lamen can­t [...], est d [...]ctio e [...]lytica, seu paragogica. b. that it is put onely to sup­ply the song (as o­ther syllables in the Psalmes) carmini [...] gra­tiâ. Vt dili­genti medi­tatio [...]e ex­pende [...]et quod p [...]e­c [...]ssisset. A­v [...]narius. Some take it for a signe of the voices exaltation, so as that [Page 11] the mind might have time to be elevated to a serious considerati­on of that which was sung: to which opini­on I willingly sub­scribe: if you will, adde, that it now im­porteth the same to the Reader, and as a marke of some ex­cellent matter there written, Whose strength is in thee: cuius suscep­tin abste. August. Lyra giveth it, Cuius auxili um est à te: for, nec hom [...] nec al [...]qua creatura po­test constq [...] beat [...]tudin [...] ultimam per [...] naturalia. Th. Aq [...]in. 1. 2. [...]. 5 a. 5. c. attai­ning of true Blessed­nesse exceedeth all power of the crea­ture— fortitudo ei in [Page 12] te; Montanus. quorum robur in te situm est, all to the same pur­pose.

In whose heart are the waies of them, or thy waies. It importeth a consideration of their wayes, to which they are exhorted, Hag. 1. 5. which the wicked seldome doe, but run on headlong to de­struction: or because their waies are put for Gods waies, which they goe, and not their own; hence 'tis said their waies, or the waies of them (the blessed Saints) [Page 13] are in their hearts. High waies are in their hearts, that is, those which leade them to thy Taber­nacle, as some inter­pret: Ascen sio­nes in corde suo disposuit-Vulg. Lyra. &c. the Vulgar hath it, hee hath dis­posed ascensions in his heart: [...] following the Septuagint here­in. [...]. 70 Vatablus inter­preteth, in quorum cor­dibus semitae tu [...]e, that is, who thinke of no­thing else, but how they may come to thee. Take these Ascensions for the degrees of vertues, by which wee must [Page 14] goe to heaven, or for the holy flights of thoughts into Gods presence, by faithfull prayer and meditati­on, take these [...] literally, for the high waies which leade to the house of God, and spiritually for that same Via regni, knowledge of Gods word and sanctity, as 'tis taken I [...]ai. 40 3 Isai. [...]5. 8. The way shall be called holy▪ the pollu­ted shall not passe by it, and all may be easily reconciled, the sense being like that, Psal. 1, 1. 2. Blessed is the man [Page 15] that doth not walke in the counsaile of the wic­ked—but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth hee meditate day and night.

For parts observe,

First, the state and condition of those who serve the Lord, They are blessed.

Secondly, the de­scription of them by their Characters.

1. Unity with God and his Church, that dwell in thy house.

2. Practice, they will still be praysing thee.

[Page 16] 3. Confidence, whose strength is in thee.

4. Sincerity, In whose heart are thy waies.

Blessed are the servants of God: yea as 'tis here [...] doubly blessed, terque quaterque beati: unspeakably blessed, because 1 Cor. 6. 9. eye hath not seene, nor heart conceived the extent of their blessednesse, that which God hath prepared for them that love him: yet are they upon un­doubted [Page 17] Detefli­monio mi­nime d [...]bi­tandum est. Sufficit enim beat [...] lingua quae dixit, sicut scrip­tum est. The­odoret in 1 Cor. 2. 9. record, (as 'tis written—) and God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit, which search­eth all things, Illud, [...], non pro ignoratiose, sed pro per­secta cogni­tio [...]e posuit. ib. Theodar. not as doubting, but as knowing perfectly the deepe and incom­prehensible secrets of God, making us able to search out the pro­mised rest by the two spies of our soules, Faith and Hope, which bring us some clusters from Esool, and tasts of that bles­sednesse, which hee will once make us perfectly know by [Page 18] enjoying. That there is a summum bonum and true blessednesse of man, the affecti­ons of all men desi­ring it, doe as cer­tainly conclude, as the motions of natu­rall bodies out of their proper place, doe a centre and ter­minum ad quem: Beatitudo pertinet ad voluntatem tanquam primum ob­jectum ejus. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 3. [...]. 4. 2▪ all men desire their own good: That most men are the sole wor­kers of their owne evill, commeth ei­ther from their mi­staking true blessed­nesse through igno­rance, or wilfull in­dulgence [Page 19] to their owne exorbitant af­fections, through a miserable impotency of minde, caused by naturall corruption, wherein they are not able to forbeare those things Vid [...]o me­liora, pro­boq [...]e, dete­rior a sequor. they know will make them fi­nally unhappy. The first will appeare, if we consider that Omnibus in terris, [...] sunt à Gad [...]b [...] [...]sq [...]e Auroram & Gange [...] pau­ci aigno [...]ere p [...]ss [...]nt Vera bona. [...]uve. Sat. 10 few men can know true good. 1. Because they so much live the life of sense, that they doe too farre trust to the testimo­nies thereof concer­ning good and evill, [Page 20] Even in the state of innocency, when man had in himselfe from his creation, a power not to have sinned, the will was perver­ted by the senses ap­probation of the for­bidden fruit Gen. 3. 6. (so the woman, seeing that the tree was good for meat, an [...] that it was plea­sant to the eyes—tooke of the fruit there­of, and did eat, and gave also to her hus­band—) how much more easily doth the naturall man now erre, when the un­derstanding darken­ed, [Page 21] [...]and the will mi­serably subjected to the insulting power of sinne, like a blind Iudg. 16. 26. Samson led by the hand of his servant to the pillars of the house, hee obtaineth his will with his owne destruction? 2. 1 Cor. 15. 34. Be­cause all have not the knowledge of God, the sole fountaine of blessednesse, 1 Cor. 2. 14. and the things of God, are like the rayes of the Sun, which can bee seene by no light but his owne. Therefore the heathens, whose Rom. 1. 21. foolish hearts were [Page 22] full of darkenesse (being given over to vile affections, be­cause of their impie­ty and unthankful­nesse) like the Gen. 19. 11 blin­ded Sodomites, gro­ping for Lots doore, sought one happines, every man as his own sense and opinion led him, all in vaine. Lactan. l. 3. c. 8. Tertul de pal▪ c. 5. Ambros To. 1. off. l. 2. c. 2. Epiourus in pleasure and quiet: Aristippus in corporeal delights: Calliphon and Di [...]oma­chus in honesty and pleasure: Diodorus in immunity from grief: the Peripate­ticks in the goods of [Page 23] minde, body and for­tune: Herillus in knowledge: the Sto­icks in vertue: where­as indeed true hap­pinesse is Finis ulti­mus rationa­lis crea [...]urae tantùm. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 3. a. 2. c. dicit, beati­tudo est ulti­ma hominis pe [...]f [...]ctio. the su­preme and ultimate end of the reasona­ble creature▪ enabled by understanding to apprehend it, and by will to desire it; that is, Et ib. q. 5. 1. c. bea­titudo nomi­nat adeptio­nem perfecti bom. [...]b. q. 3. 2. 4. his attaining a perfect good, Qua homo conjungitur Deo—& q. 3. 1. 1m. which is a conjunction with, and enjoying of God, the Deus est beatitudo per essentiam suam: non enim per adep­tionem [...]ut participationem a [...]icujus alterius beatus est, sed per essentiam suam; homines autem su [...]t beati per participationem—absolute, eter­nall, independent, [Page 24] and self blessed good, which is in three things. 1. In such a vision of the foun­taine of blessednesse, as the creature is ca­pable of: of which our Saviour saith, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matth. 5. 8. Se­condly, In a divine conformity to God, and participation of his image, who is most holy and glori­ous. 1 I [...]b. 3. 2. We are now the sonnes of God, but yet it doth not appeare what wee shall be; and wee [Page 25] know that when hee shall appeare, wee shall be like him—Which Saint Peter sti­leth q 2 Pet. 1. 4. a participation of the godly nature. Thirdly, in perfect & interminable joy, of which 'tis said, Psal. 16. 1 [...] In thy prefence is the fulnesse of ioy, and at thy right hand are plea­sures for ever. Perfect, because in respect of the subject, nothing can be added, seeing it shall be an absolute fulnesse, In quibus nec desiderium paenam generat, nec satiet as sa­stidium. without all satiety, or desiring more. In all other fruitions, desire is [Page 26] restlesse, ever Ʋnus Pel­l [...]oj veni non sufficit orbis. flying beyond all worldly acquests; but when there is attained an absolute blessednesse, then all affections, like those Ezek. 1. 24. 25. creatures in the Prophets vision, let down their wings, and stand still: for perfect blessednesse filleth all desire of man ( Homo non est perfecte beatus, quam d [...]re­fiat [...] quid desiderandum, & qu [...]re [...]dum. 1. 2 [...]. 3. 8. c. Cum per­ventum fu­erit ad beatitudinem, unusquisque attinget termi­num sibi praefixum expraede [...]matione divinâ; nec restabit ulterius aliquid quo tendatur; quam vis in illa terminatione unus pe venia [...] ad majorem propinquitatem Dei, alius ad minorem: & ideo uni­uscujusque gaudiumerit plenum ex parte gauden tis; quia uniuscujusque desiderium pl [...]ne quietabi­tur. Aquin. 2. 2. q. 28. a. 3. 2. otherwise it were not perfect) be­cause it is a participa­tion [Page 27] of Gods blessed­nesse, who is [...]. &c. Greg. Nazi­ [...]ze [...] ▪ o [...]at. [...] p [...]st i [...]it. [...], [...]. [...] lem. Alex. [...]rom. 1. 7▪ of all that is desirable the chiefe and most ex­cellent: when the Disciples (being not yet free from those secular affections, which are inherent in the most holy and re­fined earthly taber­nacles (had but a glimpse of that bea­tificall vision of the Deity in the transfi­guration of Christ in the mount: Mark▪ 9. 5 6 though Peter, sur­prised with joy, knew not what he said, yet [Page 28] hee said the truth, Master 'tis good for us to be here.—That tast of heaven made him forget earth, and de­sire to build there, where hee percei­ved such excellencie dwelt.

This joy is likewise interminable, because it is a state, E [...] ga [...] ­dium in fi­ne, sed sine fine. Ber­nard. de verb. Apost. which being once had, can never bee lost: The longest terms of time expire, but eternity is an infinite and im­measurable continu­ation: We may lose that which the be­guiled world calleth [Page 29] happinesse, consisting of things temporall, but that which is true blessednes, once had, we cannot lose; Aquin. 1. q. 6 [...]. 8. [...]. be­cause it is in the visi­on and fruition of God, Cum ipsa beatitud [...] si [...] perf [...]ctum [...]o [...]m & s [...]fficiens, [...]portet quod desiderium bo [...]inis quietet, & [...] ma­l [...]m exclu­dat. which as it ex­cludeth all sinne, — [...]lioq [...]i [...] necesse est quod tiwore ami [...]tendi, vel dolore de certi [...]udine amissioni [...] a [...]iga [...]ur—so all misery, and conse­quently change, and feare of change: Perfect a beatitudo b [...]minis in visione drvinae essentie consisti [...]: est autem im­possible quod aliquis v [...]d [...]ns divinam e [...]ntiam, ve [...]it ea [...] non videre: quia omne bonum habi [...]m quo aliquis carerae vult, aut est i [...]sufficiens, ant habet aliquod incommodum annex [...]m, propter quod in fastidi [...]m ve [...]it: visio autem divin [...] es­sentiae replet animam [...] b [...]nis, cum conjun­gat fontitotius bonitatis. both which are in­compatible [Page 30] with true blessednesse: because where there is no sin, there can neither —propria voluntate, beatus non potest beati­tudinem de­ser [...]re: Si­militer eti­am non po­t [...]st eam per­dere, Deo [...]ubtrabente—non potest talis subtra­ [...]tio à Deo j [...]sto judice provenire, nifi pro ali­qua culpa, in qua [...] c [...] ­dere non potest, qui Dei essen­tiam videt, cum ad banc vis [...]onem ex necessitate sequ [...]tur rectis udo vol [...]ntatis—nec al [...]quid ali­ud agens potest [...]am subtra [...]ere, qu [...]a mens Deo conjuncta, super omnia alia elevatur. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 5. a, 4. c. be a voluntary desertion of God, nor a just ab­jection from him.

Now wee must know, that though there bee but one true blessednesse in the conjunction with God, the onely foun­taine thereof, yet hath it two states in man. First, In viâ, in this life, where 'tis [Page 31] begunne in our com­munion with God, through faith in Christ. Secondly, In patriâ, that is, abso­lute and compleat in the life to come: the one in grace, the o­ther in glory. Which being laid downe, we have two considera­ble points. First, that none but the good can bee blessed: for none other enjoy the blessed presence of God, or partake of his image. Secondly, their happinesse nei­ther consisteth in any secular, externall, or [Page 32] worldly condition (and consequently cannot be lost in the losse of any of these things) nor is it com­pleat in this present life. Concerning the first, the Scripture a­boundeth with testi­monies: Blessed is the man that doth not w [...]ike in the counsaile of the wi [...]ked—but his de­light is in the law of the Lord—hee shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters—the wi [...]ked are not so—Psal. 1. 1. 4. 5. blessed is every one that fe [...]reth the Lord, and walketh in his [Page 33] waies, Psal. 128. 1. Blessed i [...] hee whose wic­kednesse is forgiven, and whose si [...]ne is covered: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord im [...]uteth not iniquity. Psal. 32. 1, 2. Blessed are the peo­ple whose God is the Lord. Psal. 144. 15. Mat. 5. 3 Bles­sed are the poore in spi­rit▪ Blessed are the [...]eek, and those that hunger and thirst after righte­ou [...]nesse. Blessed are the mercifull, the pure in heart the peace [...]akers—All is to the holy: Isa. 59. 2. sin disjoyneth man from God: Aqu. 1. [...]. 94. by how much more any crea­ture [Page 34] is like God in holinesie, by so much more doth hee enjoy true bleslednesse in him. The blesling is (saith Hacest [...]ene [...]ictio [...]loriari in D [...]o, & in­habitari a Deo. Aug. in Ps [...]l 5. Augustine) to rejoyce in God, and have him dwell in us.

For the second, it appeareth by that which hath bin said, that the Saints happi­nesse is not in any se­cular, externall, or worldly matter; for none of all these make us more accep­table to God, more holy, or more They hu [...]t most m [...]n who attaine them, and make it more difficult for them to be saved. Luk. 18. 24, 25. Egoverd vego illud essi bonum, qu [...]d [...]oceat hab [...]n [...]—divitiae pos­siden [...]b [...]s persaepe no­c [...]e [...]t. Bo­ [...]t. de [...]ous. l. 2. pros. 5. secure from eternall misery: [Page 35] and by reason groun­ded on Gods invio­lable justice: for if riches could make happy, never should any wicked man bee rich, or good man poore: if pleasures, Christ would never have said, Luk. 6. 25 woe bee to you that are full, for yee shall hunger; woe bee to you that now laugh, for yee shall waile and weep. If for this lifes sake onely, we have hope in Christ, 1 Cor. 15. 19. we are of all men the most mi­se rable; and therfore 1 Iob. 3. [...]. it doth not yet ap­peare [Page 36] what wee, the sonnes of God, shall be. Blessednesse is a Beatitudo cum si [...] per­fectum & sufficiens bo­num, o [...]n­ [...]alum excludit, & omne desi­derium im­pl [...]t. 1. 2. q. 5. a. 3. c. perfect and sufficient good, not onely ex­cluding all evill, but filling all desire; and who is so meere a stranger to the world, that hee knoweth it not to be Qu [...]m multis ama­rit [...] dinibus humanae fae­licitatis dul­cedo [...]espersa est, quae si etiam fru­ [...]ntiesse jo­cunda vide­atur: ta [...]en quo minus cum veli [...] abeat, retineri non possit. Boēt. de con. l. 2. pros. 4. ful of evil? or the condition of temporall possessors, that he is Quis est enim ta [...] compositae fae­licitatis, ut non aliqu [...] ex parte cum status sui qualitate rixetur? a [...]xia enim res est human [...] ­rum conditio honorum, &c. B [...]t. de consolat. l. 2. pros. 4. not consci­ous of desiring some­thing more? When [Page 37] we duely consider of any of those things, which the world now adoreth, pleasures, riches, honour, wee shall find their splen­dour to bee no better than that of glow­wormes, how ever beautifull it seemeth in our want of true light, all that lustre vanisheth when wee can clearely see it. Speake wee of wic­ked men growing rich and great? are they not like those Act. 14. 13. bulls of Lystra, a­dornd with garlands and flowers for the [Page 38] slaughter? are they not Miseri in [...]oc altius toll [...]ntur, ut decidant altius: hi e­ni [...] ut vi­ctime ad sup [...]licium saginantur: [...]t [...]ostiae ad paenam coro­nantu [...]—like the Shell­fish, carried up to be broken in their fall? What ever wee have of the world, is it not absque notitia Dei, quae potest [...]sse solida faelicitas, cum sit som­nio similis? antequam tenetur el [...] ­bitur. Mi­nut. F [...]l. O [...]tav. like the riches of a dreaming man? what ever wee rejoyce in, may prove an occasi­on of sorrow, Quod enim vol [...]ptate dissolvi [...]r, id contraria n [...]c [...]sse est tristitia contrahatur: nec i [...]mune e [...]istere ab anxie [...]ate [...]oer [...]ris, quod lae [...] ­tia trepid [...]t, aut levitatibus extollitur gaudiorum. Arnob. adv. Gent. l▪ 7. see­ing these affections are conversant about the same things: and if happinesse bee not in any of these things, then it necessarily fol­loweth, [Page 39] that the want or losse of these, that is, pleasures, honours, riches, or the like, can no more take a­way from a Saint of God his true blessed­nesse, than the violent winde can move the beames of the Sunne, which against all force thereof shine through the aire; or thā the furious storms which somtimes draw hideo [...] curtaines o­ver Starres or Sunne, can extinguish their light.

And lastly, this happines is not com­pleat [Page 40] in this life, wee are yet but in via, to­ward it: as Moses said to Isr [...]el in the wil­dernesse, Deut. 12. 9 Yee are not yet come to rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord thy God giveth thee: So may I here, the blessednesse to which we tend now, is, like the Extra port [...]m Col­linar [...]. Aug. de C. D. l. 4. c. 16. temple of Rest at Rome, set out of the gate: Ego con­jectu [...]a d [...] ­cor, Quie­t [...] [...]an [...] ad mor [...]os pertin [...]isse. Lodovic. Viv. com. in Aug. dec. D. which some thinke impor­ted rest to the dead onely: as Revel. 14. 13. the voice from heaven pronounced, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord—they [Page 41] rest from their labo [...]rs: according to which Heb. 13. 13, 14. 'tis said Let us goe forth therefore out of the camp bearing his reproch: for here wee have no continu­ing City, but we seeke one to come. Such are the Saints, that they who will not live their life, would yet faine dy their death: Num. 23. 1 [...]. all desire their last con­dition: O that I might dy the death of the righ­teous! l [...]t my last end [...]ee like his. The —dicique beatus, A [...]te obitum nemo, sup▪ e­maque f [...]ne­ra debet▪ Ov. Met. hea­then Solon knew that happinesse could not be before the end of this life, pronounced [Page 42] it so. Others confes­sed the same: expe­rience preacheth it: reason concludeth it: ▪tis the end which maketh compleatly happy: and there­fore Nemi­nemque om­nino [...]sse securum, nec debere [...]sfe securum, do­ne [...] ad illam patriam ve [...] niatur, unde nemo exit amicus, quò nemo ad­mittitur inimicus. Aug. [...]ar. in Psal. 67. Phil. 2. 12. no wise man ought to bee secure, untill hee arrive at that countrey, from whence no friend de­parteth, to which no enemy is admitted: therefore Saint Paul saith, make an end of your owne salvation with feare and trem­bling, not with such a feare as leadeth to despaire, but with [Page 43] such a feare as sha­keth off presump­tion and security: which is the soules guardian, Timor cu­stos inno­c [...]ntiae, de quo Cyprian. l. 2. ep. 2. Sit tantum timor in no­bis inno­centiae cu­stos—ne accepta se­curit [...] in­diligentiam pariat, & ve [...]us denuò hostis obre­pat.—and ver­tues keeper. Such a trembling, as like Io­nahs storme, giveth that no rest, for which the anger was, which none can calme, till that sinne bee cast o­ver boord, which God pursueth, like the needle in the compasse, which con­tinually trembleth, and by continual sha­king returneth to the C [...]nosure to guide us tight: Such is true [Page 44] faith, Modo enim nihil quietis aut securitatis invenire possumus, dura adhuc in nobis ip­sis ingemi­scimus gra­vati: adop­ti [...]i [...]m ex­pectantes redemptio­nem corporis nostri, &c. Greg [...]n 7. Psal. poenit. which heere can never bee secure, till the last enemy be destroyed, till death bee swallowed up in victory: it hath here continuall trialls, so agitating it, that it never resteth, till it returne to a blessed confidence in God; according to which the Psalmist, after his feares and dangers said, Returne unto thy rest, O my soule Psal. 116. 7. like the wea­ry Dove to the Arke; so faith, after its flight over a vast deluge of trialls, returneth [Page 45] with assured signes and Emblemes of peace.

All this is to teach you, not to seeke hap­pinesse with the de­luded children of this world, in those things, concerning which a true experience shall at last pronounce with the Preacher, E [...]cles. 2. 11. Eccles. 1. 14. Quid igitur O mortales extra peti­tis intra vo [...] positam fae­li [...]itate [...]? Bo [...]. de cons. l. 2. pros. 4. All is Vanity and Ve­ocation of spirit. In all their labours, cares, and most diligent in­quests, they seeke happinesse, as those fifty men Eliah▪ 2 King. 2. 17. which sought but found him not. [Page 46] 'Tis only to be found in our union with God, and that in san­ctity: for what com­munion can there bee betweene CHRIST and Belial? therefore Nemo ma­l [...]s faelix. Iuv. Sat. 4. no wicked man can be happy, though he have what hee desi­reth: Omnes be­ [...]i [...]abent qu [...]d v [...] ­lunt, quam­vis & s [...]t miser [...], qu [...] v [...]l n [...]n ha­bent quod volun [...], vel id habent quod non re­c [...]è v [...]l [...]n [...]: pr [...]pri [...]r ergo be [...]titudini voluntas recta, etiam non adepta quod cupit, q [...]am prava, et [...]a [...]si quod cupit, obtinuit. Pre­sper. s [...]nt. [...]x Aug. 62. 'Tis true, all the blessed have what they would (yea in the middest of wants) though having of our wills maketh us not blessed: but they are ever unhappy, who [Page 47] either have not what they would, or have that which they should not desire: Neerer then to Bles­sednesse is an holy wil, without successe, than a wicked, which obtaineth what it de­sireth: and this the Prima [...]s [...] haec ultio, quod se I [...] ­dice, nemo nocens ab­solvitur; improba quamvis gratia fal­lacis Prae­toris vice­rit urnam. Iuvenal. Sat. 13. testimony of the sin­ners owne conscience maketh evident to him, which will con­demne him, though all the world would absolve him: which is no other but a por­table hell in the wic­ked man. And in­deed if there were no [Page 48] hell to punish him, his owne wickednesse A [...]. Synes ep. 32. is enough to make him unhappy, who thereby forsaketh God, the sole foun­taine of blessednesse, making man unlike him, and like the most unhappy crea­ture. Vertue is a re­ward to it selfe, and every mans owne sin is a sufficient punish­ment, if there were none other. Wouldst thou have the Rev. 2. 10. crown of life, true blessed­nes, that which 1 Pet. 1. 4. wi­thereth not? the [...]. Ciem. Alex. Pad. l. 2. c. 8 earth beareth no such flow­ers: [Page 49] they are set like those lillies and pom­granates on the tops of Solo [...]ons pillars, 1 King. 7. 18, 19, 20. rooted in heaven, and shewing to the world the unsearcha­ble height of Gods Quid ist [...] caten [...]— [...]is [...] altiss [...] ­mas signi­fi [...]a [...]t ra [...] ▪ ones jam di­c [...] judicii atq [...]e mise­ricord [...] [...]am al [...]ae in [...]oelo [...]di [...]es fix a [...] baben [...]s— [...]equa­qua [...] com [...]rehe [...]d [...]e, &c. [...]per­tus in Reg. l 3. c. 20. justice, and mercie never failing. The best things of this world become evill, through the wicked­nesse and folly of the owners [...] though mens affections say, blessed are the people which are so, where is pros­perity and all quiet, yet that very peace [Page 50] and prosperity is evill to the wicked: be­cause it maketh them worse: for that, in their security they heape up wrath a­gainst the day of wrath: and so all this Tranquil­litas ista tempestas est. Hie­ron. [...]p▪ Heliodor. calme doth but be­get hideous stormes to follow. When in ages past the sober Philosophers avow­ed the world to bee a creature, and ex­pressed an admirable contempt thereof, there was found one Cl. Alex. adm. ad Gent. mad Ze [...]ocrates, who adored it for a God: how many thousands [Page 51] of that sect are now living? how many now, like those foo­lish Israelites, make an idoll of their jewels, and in their blind af­fections say, that Mammon is their God, which must bring them into the pro­mised rest, and whose hearts desire, is that vote of the Num. 32. 1. 5. Reube­nites & Gadites when they saw the Land of Iazer, and the fruitfull Gilead, if wee have found favour in thy sight, let this land (this world) bee given unto thy servants for a posses­sion, [Page 52] and bring us not over Iordan. They desire no other hea­ven, nor happinesse: and yet the truth is, that Ipsa quae in r [...]bus hu­manis vo­catur faelici­tas pl [...]sti­ [...] end [...] quam miseria, &c. Aug. in Ps. 67. which the world calleth happinesse is more to bee feared than misery, which many times is a schoolmaster to ver­tue, when prosperity corrupteth the minde with perverse securi­ty, and leaveth open a doore to the temp­ter, who setteth some on the pinacles, to cast them downe; of­fereth others riches, and glory, to make [Page 53] them forsake true happinesse, by ado­ring him: When he offereth bread, 'tis but a stone: When hee feedeth, he stea­leth in, like that slie K [...]nite, Iudg. 4. 21. with his tent-naile, to fasten them to the earth, that they might not aspire to true blessednesse: When hee sheweth them false heavens, 'tis but to plunge them into a true hell. Setting aside, that in the best worldly things In omni conditione & gradu optimis mixi [...] sunt pessima. Ierom. R [...] ­slico [...]p. there is a mixture of some evill, that [Page 54] Impiorum f [...]elicitas tran si [...]o [...]ia est. Aug. in Psal. 36. the happines of the hypocrites is as tran­sitory as Am [...]ve­runt praesen­tia, & dor­mierunt in ipsis.—& sic illu fa­cta sunt ipsa praesentia, delitiosa, quo mod [...] q [...]ividet per somnium invenisse thesauros, tamdiu di­ves, q [...]am­diu non evi­gi [...]et: som­nium di­vitem fecit, evigilatio pauperem. Aug. in Psal. 75.—cum sit somnio simi­lu; antequam tenetur, elabitur. Minut. Fel. Octav. a dreame (which in a moment leaveth us waking void of all wee see­med to possesse) in the most prudent use of them, they are as farre from true hap­pines, as the centre of the earth from the highest heaven. Take all that the beguiled world useth to adore, honours, riches, plea­sures; let all acces­sions of this kinde (which the wit of [Page 55] man can invent, or his desire measure) bee heaped one upon another, like Peleon, Ossa, and Olympus; all shall come as farre short of making thee happy, as Babels in­tended toppe would have beene from lan­ding those ambitious builders in heaven. How miserable is it then, to build our vaine hopes heere? the Vitae summa bre­vis spes ve­tat in [...]ho­are longas. short summe of life forbiddeth us to beginne long hopes therein. Here is no sincere joy; God hath set many Marahs in [Page 56] our passage to the Holy Land: Here [...]. Dion. Rom. [...]ist. l. 38. is nothing permanent; neither are we: here's nothing fully happy, neither are we: here's nothing without con­tinuall change, nei­ther can we be. Our present joyes com­monly aggravate our succeeding sorrowes, leaving us doubtfull whether our content in enjoying, were so much as our sorrow losing: at the best, what ever good, time produceth, it taketh away againe; and all which springeth [Page 57] hence, is but as that [...]. Hi [...] Eun [...]chus a Philippo b [...]p [...]zatus est. Ie [...]om. [...]om 4. de loc Heor. fountaine by Bethso▪ro [...] (where 'tis con­ceived Philip baptised the Eunuch. Act. 8.) whose streames are swallowed up in the same field in which they rise. The se­curest voice of our present joy soundeth discord, like that Ezra 3. 13 compounded noise at the second temples dedication; the voi­ces of them that re­joyced could hard­ly bee distinguished E [...]am [...] in [...] ­ [...]l s [...]e gloria ag [...]sermus vo [...]es▪ [...]i­bulat [...]nis no [...]r [...]. Aug. in Psal. 67. from their cries that mourned.

Therefore now [Page 58] sound a retrait to your affections which follow these ignes fa­tuos of the world; false happinesse, and learne to make strait steps unto your feet, you that follow the true; that is, through holinesse, without which it is impossible to bee happy; in which feare not the wheelings of a giddy world; feare not af­flictions, they Calamitas Jaepiùs disci­plina virtu­tis est. Mi­nut. Fel. Oct. many times amend that which Prosperitie marred: the Saints have experience here­of; Before Ps. 119. 67. 71. I was affli­cted, [Page 59] I went astray but now I keepe thy word—'tis good for mee that I have beene afflicted, that I may [...]earne thy statutes. 'Tis Magna ira est, quan. do peccan [...]i­bus non ira­scit [...]r Deu [...]. a misery to want correction, and to be given over to our selves: but Psal. 94. 12 blessed is the man whom thou cha­stisest, O Lord, and tea­chest him thy law. At [...]nim D [...]i [...] nec in do­lore deseri­tur, nec morte [...]ni­t [...]— [...]iser videri po­test, [...] Minut. Fel. Oct [...]y. The souldier of Christ is not forsaken in his sorrow, destroyed in death, nor dishonou­red in his wounds: he may be called un­happy, or seeme so, but not bee so. All that hee suffereth for [Page 60] Christ is [...] ▪ Ignat. ep. ad Polyca [...]p. his honour and matter of rejoy­cing who overcom­meth. Therefore the Apostles departed re­joycing in their stripes: Act. 5. 41. Therefore our Sa­viour pronounced them blessed who mourne. True hap­pinesse is of so divine a condition, that floods of teares can­not drown it; yea, like that Gaga­tes lapis accendi­tur aqu [...] ▪ ole [...] restin­guitur. Plin. nat. hist. l. 36 c. 19. stone which they say is inflamed with water, and quenched with oile. There's no danger of affliction, if prospe­rity [Page 63] corrupt not: darke night extingui­sheth not the starres, but shewes their light more excellent: nei­ther can any affliction put out our happi­nesse; it shall make it more glorious. Rom. 8. 35. 37, &c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tri­bulation, or anguish, or persecution?—In all these things wee are more than conque­rers, through him that loved us: for I am perswaded, that neither death, nor life,—nor any creature shall bee able to separate us from [Page 64] the love of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea, Rev. 14. 13. blessed are the dead in the Lord, because living or dying, we are the Lords, Eph. 2. 19. fellow ci­tizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of the God of the li­ving. Which bring­eth mee to the next part, the Saints Unity with God and his Church.

That dwell in thy house. This tearme sometimes importeth the materiall temple, or house of prayer, 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1. 1 King. 5. 5 1 King. 6. 37. Ioh. [Page 65] 2. 14. 16. 17. Somtimes the Church of the li­ving God, 1 Tim. 3. 15 Eccl [...]ia columen & firmam [...]n­tum verita­tis appella­tur, quod unum est propter fir­mitatem fi­dei, & quiae doctrinā coelesti & miraculis divinis fir­mata est. Remigius in 1 Tim. 3. the pillar and ground of truth, that is, the faithfull Co▪os. 1. 23 there­on grounded and D [...]mum Dei & Ecclesiam appellavit Coetum eorumqui crediderunt—s [...]pra petram enim sunda [...]i stabeles & immobiles permanent—Theodoret. in 1 Tim. 3. [...]. Chrys [...]b. e­stablished. The living temples of the holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6. 19. and so all the faithfull, and all the Churches of Christ are but one Catholike Church, as all seas (however they receive divers [Page 66] denominations from the divers shores they wash) are but one sea. And this house of God is Ecclesia, quae est ve­rum templū Dei, quod non in pa­rietibus est, sed in c [...]rde, ac side homi­num, qui credunt in cu [...], & co. cantur fi­deles—Lact. l. 4. c. 13. not in walls, and roofes, but in the faith and truth in mens hearts: haec est dom [...] fidelis hoc i [...]mor­tale tem­plum: in quo si quis non sacrifi­saverit, in m [...]rtalitatis praemium non hab [...]bit. ib. c. 14. this is a faithfull house, and an immortall Na [...], &c. Clem. Alexandria. s [...]rom. l. 7. tem­ple, which Christ (of whom Solomon, the sonne of David, was a figure) did build, and to which hee cal­leth all nations of the earth, in one faith, [Page 67] one baptisme, one truth, and one hope of salvation in him, who is the sole Savi­our and Mediatour betweene God and man, 1 Tim. 2. 5. Act. 4. 12. Hic est templi mag­ni janua, bic lucis vi [...], bic d [...]x salutis, bic estium vitae. Lact. l 4. 5. 29. the onely doore of the great temple, the way of light, the guide to life.

So that wee are here to consider these three ascensions in the house of God:

First, the house of prayer, set apart, and consecrated to the service of God, where the holy oracles of [Page 68] God, and Sacraments are rightly admini­stred, whence the spi­ritual incense of pub­like prayers, and sweete odours of thankesgiving are of­fered from the gol­den censer, by the Angell of the Co­venant, before the throne of God, Rev. 8. 3, 4. where the blessed assemble on earth, where the ho­nour of God dwel­leth among men: where Christ hath promised to bee pre­sent, Matth. 18. 20. where that blessed [Page 69] Anna Et in pro­speris, & in adversis ab hoc opere non cessat. Alcuinus in sest. purif. continued ser­ving God with fast­ings and prayers Continuè & perseve­ranter, ut 1 Tim. 5. 5. L [...]c. Br [...] ­gens▪ in Lu [...]. 2. night and day, Luk. 2. 37. neither in pro­sperity, nor in adver­sity ceasing: this house the Church militant in sundry parts of the world frequenteth, and reverenceth for his sake, who there, most evidently mani­festeth his presence on earth, and in his ho­ly ordinance and sa­cred mysteries is there worshipped: it was Davids greatest griefe in Psal. 42. 1. 4. his exile, as of o­ther Saints, that they [Page 70] could not be present here: for this they Psal. 84. 2. 3. emulated the spar­row and swallow, who had free accesse to the places neere Gods altars. And undoubtedly, all the Saints on earth beare the like affection to the house of God, above all amiable places of the earth. With this wee may joyne all that are by the outward seales of the covenant, admit­ted into the visible Church, as Guests in­vited to the Luk. 14. great Supper, without, or [Page 71] with the wedding garment, to which the 2 Chron. 4. 9. 1 King. 6. 3 the great court or porch, before the Temple, whichsome would have of 4. divisions, some 3. some 2. Azorius instit▪ moral. l. 6▪ c. 5. 3. tom. 1. ib. c. 52. atrium Iudae [...]rum answered, or that to which cleane and un­cleane might come.

2. The communi­on of Saints, who are the body of Christ, and temple of Gods holy spirit, built up­on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone, in whom all the buil­ding coupled toge­ther, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; into which are [Page 72] admitted onely those Ezek 9▪ 4 who have the in­ward seale of Gods covenant, whom hee hath marked for his owne, as a royall Priesthood and holy nation: to which the Sanctuarie, inward house, or Ad [...]i [...]ho­mius de secund part. ten pli. At [...]ium sa­cerdo [...]um answered.

3. The Coelestiall Temple, the great Rev. 21. 10. 27. city, holy Hierusalem, into which no un­cleane thing shall en­ter, prefigured by that Sanctum S [...]cto­rum: into which Christ He'. 9▪ 11▪ 12▪ our blessed High-priest is entred, [Page 73] to obtaine eternall re­demption for us: which house of God, [...] In [...] [...]yra. Lyra here understan­deth: Ierusalem, which is above: the Saints Metropolis, Galat. 4. 26. [...]. [...] o a [...]. 1 [...]. not now visible, but by the eye of faith: whereof Christ is a citizen, the Concives, the Patriarkes, Pro­phets, Martyrs, Saints and Angells. Into the second s [...]ate of grace, and this third of glory, may come Ez [...]k. 44. 9, 10. no stranger, none of uncircumcised heart; that is, [...]. cle [...]. Al. strom. l. 4. unb [...]l [...]ever, or unholy: they▪ on­ly [Page 74] who [...]. ib. are holy, are truly Priests unto the Lord: whence it may appeare, that Vnity with God and his Church is a character and mark of true happinesse: Uni­ty, I say, in love and sanctity, Magna [...]omi [...]is mi­seria est, cum ill [...] non esse, sine quo non po [...]est esse, &c. Prosper. Epigram. out of which is misery: Ecclefia [...]na est—quo [...]od [...] so [...]s mu [...]t: radii, sed lumen [...]n [...]m & rami arboris mul­ti, sed ro [...]ur unum ten [...]ci rad [...]c [...] fundatum. E-t de f [...]te uno rivi pl [...]imi d [...]flu [...]nt, [...]umero [...]it as▪lic [...] t diff [...]sa videtur exundantis copiae largi [...]a [...]e, unit as ta [...]e [...] servatur in origine, &c. and indeed hee cannot have God his Father, who hath not the Church for his Mo­ther, which, as I said, is Ha [...]ere jam non potest De [...] pa [...]ren, qui [...]cclesiā non [...] Si potuit [...]vadere, qui extra arcan [...] N [...]e suit: & qui extra [...] foris fuerit, evadet▪ Cyp [...]tra [...]. 3. de simpl [...]praela [...]. but one, and that [Page 75] (as Iacob said of Be [...]hel, Genes. 28. 17.) is the house of God, and the gate of heaven: the house of faith, Quod [...]i quis non in­traverit, vel a quo si quis ex [...]ver [...]t, à [...]pe vitae ac sa [...]u [...]is aeter­nae alie [...]us [...]st. Lactant. l. 4. c. ult. into which if any enter not, out of which if any wilful­ly goe out, he aliena­t th himselfe from all hope of eternall life. Hee that eateth the Paschall Lamb out of this house, Qui extra [...]n [...] do [...]um agnus [...] com ederit, p [...]o­phanus est: Si q [...]is in a [...]d Noë non [...]ue [...]it, p [...]r [...]bit reg­nan [...]e [...]ilu­vio. Hieron. Dam [...]so. l [...]b. 1. ep. 25. is pro­phane: out of this Quo Sa­ [...]ramento decl [...]ra [...]ur, in [...] dom [...]m sol [...]m, [...]d est, in eccl [...]siam, [...]icturos, & ab inte [...]itu mundi evasu­ros, colligi oportere. Cypri [...]n. l. 1. ep. 6. arke there is no sal­vation. This is as Ra­habs [Page 76] house, Iosh. 6. 22. the covenant of peace is onely with them that keepe within, if any go out, his blood shall be upon his own head: this is the bo­dy of Christ, where­of he is the head and Saviour, Ephes. 5. 23. in whom onely, and through whom is true blessednesse.

1. Bee not decei­ved; the Laver set betweene the taber­nacle of the congre­gation, and the Al­tar, to clense all who entred thereinto, de­clared in the figure, [Page 77] that 1 Cor. 6. 9 Rev. 21. 27 Ezck. 44. 9. no unrighteous person, unclean thing, alient or uncircum ci­sed in heart, shall en­ter into the house and kingdome of God.

2. Beguile not thy selfe with the fruit­lesse name of a Chri­stian: [...]. Ignat. [...]p. ad Magn. not to bee called so, but to bee so maketh happy. If thou art so named, but not so natured, thou art but as the Church of Sardi, Rev. 3. 1. thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead: It were lesse evill to bee wicked any where, [Page 78] in the world, than in Gods house: the Ʋbi subli­mior praer [...] ­gativa, ma­jor est c [...]l [...]a; ipsa enim errores no­stros r [...]l [...]gi [...] quam profi­temur accu­sat. Salvian de gubern. Dei [...]. 4. [...] hoc magis ul­pabiles su­mus, [...]i le­gem b [...]a [...] c [...]limus, & [...]ali [...]ltores sumus. ib. Minor [...] cri­mini [...] reatus est lege [...] [...]escire, quam sper­nere. ibid. Salv. l. 4. fine. ex­cellencie of the pre­rogative aggravateth the fault committed, which (like dirt upon the Raven) were lesse conspicuous in per­sons of lesse emi­nence: and the very religion which a wic­ked man profesleth, and dishonoureth, ac­cuseth him. Lesse sin hath he, who know­eth not the Law of God, than hee that contemneth it: they cause the ho­ly Name of God Ro [...]. 2. 24 to bee blasphemed, [Page 79] Per eos tantummodo blasp [...]ema­tur D [...]us, q [...]i [...]ona dicuni, & m [...]la faciunt ib. Salv. who in words pro­fesse to know God, and in deedes deny him: therfore is that Magis [...] enins dam­nabilis est malitia, quam titul [...]s b [...]nitatis ac­cusat, & re­atus impii est pium no­men. ibid. most damnable wickednesse, which some title of good­nesse accuseth, and the guilt of the impi­ous, is an holy name. Looke therefore to thy foot, thou that commest into the house of God: he is not blessed who dwelleth here as 1 Sam. 2. 12. 17. E­l [...]es sonnes, to make men abhorre the of­fering of God: as Iob. 2. 14. Matth. 21. 12, 13. the buyers and sel­lers, to the propha­nation [Page 80] of the holy f Ezek. 8. 11. Temple: as those seventy Ancients of Israel, to worke a­bominations in the place of Gods wor­ship: as they who bring hither aures insi­dia [...]rices comming in­to the Church 1 Sam. 21. 7. as Doeg the Edomite to Nob, to observe and ac­cuse, as false Apostles creeping in (like ser­pents into the gar­den) to spie out some occasion to sting us: as Iob. 1. 6. Iob. 2. 1. Sathan among the children of God: as Hereticks and con­tentious Schismaticks [Page 81] who are in this holy body, as thornes in the flesh, as the Ca­naanite in the Holy land: 1 Iob. 2. 19 They were not of us saith Saint Iohn, say wee, would God we could once say the rest, they went out from us. They are not blessed who come in hither like impious Cham into the Arke, whom the curse fol­loweth out: like the Blackmoore into the bath, going out with the same complexion with which hee en­tred: who bringeth hither itching eares, [Page 82] who is like those Legimu [...]—auriculas in tantum magnitudi­nis gentibus excrescere quibusdam, ut totum corpus iis contegatur, vestium mo­do, Fanesios vocant. Cal. Rhodiginus lect. antiq. l. 3. c. 29. monstrous Fanesii, all eares: such as are all for hearing, that's the cloke which must present them for holy to the worlds view. But the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the Rom. 2. 13 doers of the law shall be justifyed: 'tis true, Exod. 29. 20. Aarons eare must be toucht in his consecration, but his hand must be toucht also: to teach us that wee must heare, and practise also, if wee will bee an holy Priest-hood to the [Page 83] Lord. Neither are they blessed, who ap­pear before the Lord empty-handed, with­out due provision; nor they, who receive the distilling dew of Gods word often fal­ling on them, as rain into the sea; whose briny floods are no­thing changed there­by, or on the Heb. 6. 7, 8 barren ground that's neere to cursing, whose end is to be burned: but blessed is the fruitfull ground, they of whom Christ said (and we in his name say) Blessed are they [Page 84] that heare the word of God, and keepe it. This shall bee thy present assurance of thy fu­ture dwelling in the presence of God to e­ternity.

1 King. 10. 8. The Queene of Saba pronounced So­lomons servants hap­py, who stood in his presence to heare his wisdome, but here is a greater than Solo­mon: greater happi­nesse, because true and permanent: well might Teste Au­gustino, dice­re solitus est, magis se ga [...]dere, q [...]o [...] mem­brion eccle­sie Dei esset, quam qu [...]d inter [...]is regnaret. Abraham Bucholcer. j [...]d. Chron. I heodosius the great (that same Ec­clesiae nutricius) rejoyce more, that hee was a [Page 85] member of this Church, a servant of God, than that hee was a Lord of men: this Psalmists choice was, rather to keepe a doore in the h [...]se of God, than to dwell in the ta­bernacles of wickednesse. Here is a constant blessing: Ps 84. 10 Wee are but pilgrims on earth, though wee dwell in the houses of Kings. This world is to us, as 'tis said of Iacobs Ca­naan, [...] Gen. 36. 7. terra peregrina­tionum eorum: here's no long stay, nor security: in GODS house are both: in [Page 86] In domo tuâ ti [...] e [...]is latrones, domus Dei murus est ipse Deus. A [...]e. in Psal. thy house thou maist feare theeves, but God is a defence to his owne house, Ma [...]. 6. 19. there is neither theef nor moth. The blessed possesse this Sine di­ver [...]nate & divisione limit [...] omnes ha­bent eam, & singuish­bent totam. ibid. without any diver­sity or division of bounds: all have it, and every one hath it all. Here's no want of any thing, nor care to get, nor feare to lose: all is heere se­cure fulnesse without satiety: no wonder if their mouths bee al­waies filled with Gods praises, who are so filled with his [Page 87] blessings, which is our next part, and cha­racter of the blessed man. They will ever praise [...].

3 The Saints onely praise God truely and constantly: according to Quando bexè e [...]t, [...]au­da misericor­diam; quan­do malè est, la [...]da ve [...]i­tatem, quia pe [...]cata fla­gellat. Aug. in Psal. 91. S. Augustines rule; in prosperity praise his mercy, in adversity his truth, according to which hee punisheth sinnes. 'Twas Plinies report to the Em­perour f Plin. se­cund. l. 10. ep. Traja [...]o. concerning Christians, that they were wont before day to sing praises unto Christ: and so it see­meth to have beene [Page 88] the practice of Chri­stians Extra Psalmos si­lentium est: quocun (que) te verteris, a­retor stivam teners alle­lujab de­cantat: su­dans messor Psalmis se av [...]cat: & curv [...] at­tond [...]n▪ vi­tes falce vi­nitor, ali­quid Davi­dicum canit. Ierom▪ Mar cellae. lib. 2. ep. 7. in S. Ieroms time, to spend their lives in singing Psalms and praises to God: the toyling Plow­man, the sweating Mower, the pruner of Vines; in every corner you might have heard them sin­ging their Hallelujahs: The reason hereof is, because See Exod. 15. 1. Iudg. 5. 1. 1 Sam. 2. 1. &c. these have a lively sense of Gods mercy and benefi­cence: Others are filled, but not sensi­ble: these onely Plus [...]nim laudat un [...]sq [...]is (que) quod pos­si [...]t. I [...]rem 9. love [Page 89] and enjoy God, and therefore praise him: they onely have true faith, Psal. 116. 10. which is ever apt to breake out into praise, because of the blessed Rom. 5. 1. peace of conscience, which they have with God: they onely have san­ctified wils and affe­ctions: they Laudare nemo solet nisi qu [...]d ei placet. Aug. in Psal 14 [...] Sec [...]ritas e [...]go landis, in la [...]de D [...]i est: ibi lau­dator secu­rus est, ubi non timet ne de laudato [...]rub [...]s [...]at. Aug. in Psal. 94. Init. onely delight in the Lord, therefore praise him: the security of praise is in the praises of God: therefore they praise him, ore & opere, and that constantly: Thy praise shall bee ever in my mouth, Psalm. 34. [Page 90] 1. without cessation, though not without intermission. What ever thou dost, let thy soule ever praise the Lord: Whether thou eate or drinke, doe all to Aug. in Psal. 102. his honour, 1 Cor. 10. 31. even in thy Innocentia tua etiam in dormiente vox est ani­maetuae. Aug. ib. si semper à nobis ama­tur ille, sem­per laudatur Aug. in Psal. 103. sleepe innocence is the voice of thy soule; love him ever, and thou dost ever praise him. Therefore no man is excused from this du­ty: what can he doe, who cannot love? and indeed, God not so much requireth the voice, as the heart; neither that for Laudarise vul [...] D [...]us, & b [...] ut tis pro [...]cias n [...] ut ille subli­metur. ib. in Psalm. 102. his [Page 91] owne sake, but for thy benefit.

The out-goings of the morning and eve­ning praise him: all creatures (the oneape­state excepted) praise him: how many times doth the Psalmist in one Psalme exhort thereto? yea all the Psalmes are [...] quod ma [...]er Psalmorum pars Dei lau­des continent Valent. S [...]hin dler. lex pen­teglo [...]. a booke of praises, because GODS praises are the principall part thereof.

That which most Interpreters give here perpetuo, the vulgar giveth in secula secu­lorum: the blessed [Page 92] do but tune here, and record: sometimes their de profundis; sometimes their ve­nite exultemus, and Hosanna's, the gene­rall vote of all the Saints, the Canticum nov [...]m: The Chrysostom. in Psal. 95. old song was confined by the borders of Cana­an; among the stran­gers, Psal. 137. 1. 4. by the Rivers of Babylō, they hanged up their harps on the willowes: they might weepe in remem­brance of Sion, but how shall we sing a song of the Lord in a strange Land? but the new [Page 93] song, of an Si e [...]im admirabil [...]m & omnem excedentem n [...]tu [...]am in­ca [...]na [...]o [...]m Domini [...]ar­ra [...]e [...]s: si regen [...]ratio­nem—uni­versi o [...]s expec [...]o invetera [...] tunc de [...]m recens ac no­vum canti­cum cania­bis. Basil. in Psal 32. admira­ble matter, excelling all the courses of na­ture, the incarnation of Christ, the renuing of the World, the mysteries of our resurection: Luk. 2. 14 the Angels began this in the day of Christs nativity, and now it soundeth through the Vniverso decantatur o [...]be. Chrys. whole World: and so ad­mirable a worke, is the praise of God, that death it selfe shall not interrupt it, nor time end it, wee shall sing our Gloria in altissimis Deo, for ever and ever: be­cause [Page 94] wee shall Laus sine fine crit, qui [...] sine fine a­m [...]. Augu­s [...]i [...]. in Psal. 142. love him eternally: wee shall joyne in a f [...]h Queere with those heavenly creatures, who now praise the LORD before his Throne.

The Saints praise God constantly: it well becommeth the just to be thankefull: but hee that is silent now, shall not sing with Saints and An­gels in the life to come. Psal. 107. [...], 13, 21, 31 The Psalmist recounting the mer­cies of God, maketh this the sweet bearing of his song: Let them [Page 95] therefore confesse before the Lord his loving kind­nesse▪ and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men. Begin to rec­kon ('tis all thou canst, for there is no end of his goodnesse) he 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 1. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 20▪ Gen. 1. 27. elected us when wee were not: hee made us to his owne Image, he Rom. 5. 10. redeemed us with the precious blood of his onely Sonne. Quod si totum me debe [...] pro me facto, quid addum jam pro refecto, & refecto be [...] modo? in primo opere me mihi dedi [...], in secundo [...]e: & [...]i se dedit, me mihi reddidit: da [...]s ergo & [...]e [...]ditus me pro me debeo & his debeo; q [...]id retr [...]uam p [...] s [...]nam e [...]iamsi me millies rependere poss [...] [...] s [...]m ego ad Deum? Bernard. de diligena. Deo cap. 2 [...]. If I owe so [Page 96] much for my creati­on, what owe I for my redemption, with so great a price? in the worke of creation hee gave mee to my selfe; in the second hee gave himselfe to me; and when hee gave himselfe for me, he restored me to my selfe. What shall I render the Lord? if I could give my selfe a thousand times over, what am I to the Lord? there is no­thing in Heaven or Earth among all the creatures, so divine, so excellent as Christ: [Page 97] hee that hath him Affatim di­ves est, qui [...]m Ohristo panper est. Ierom. l. 2. [...]p. ad Heliodor. hath all things, and having nothing else aboundeth: no won­der if the Saints ever praise him, yea when they goe per vallem flet [...]s: here is their Laus fla­gella [...]is me­d [...]cina est [...] Aug in Ps [...]l. 144. wounds medicine: here is the tryall, here is the Selah set to erect the mind to conside­ration: 'tis an easie matter to praise the Lord blessing us, and giving us good things (yet too many forget that plaine song) but if thou art a blessed man indeed, thou must praise the Lord [Page 98] in the Valley of Baca, in teares and bitter forrowes, when hee afflicteth thee and ta­keth away all earthly comforts from thee: Iob 1. 21. In▪ boc ita (que) mens j [...]sta ab injusta discernitur: quod omni­potentis Dei laudem & inter adver­sa conside­ [...]r: q [...]od no [...] cum re­bus srangi­tur, non cum casu gloriae exterioris cadit: sed in hoc magis qualis cum r [...]bus suerit demonstrat, quae & sine rebus robus­tius stat. G. ego. Mor. in Iob. l. 11. [...]. 1 [...]. 'twas Iobs resolution, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken it, bles­sed bee the Name of the Lord: such is the pos­session of Christ, as that no externall e­state, no nor death it selfe can make that possessour unhappy, or any more take a­way his blessednesse, than the stormes wee feele on earth can shake downe the orbs [Page 99] of heaven: what ever God taketh away, if he take not himselfe from thee, thou art blessed, neither canst thou be otherwise, no not when thou see­mest, to others and thy selfe most mise­rable: Therefore the Psalmist (though in bitternesse of spirit and present affliction he recounted his hap­pinesse past) yet re­calleth his affections, Why art thou cast down, Psal. 4 [...]. 11. O my soule, and why art thou so disquieted within mee? waite on God. For indeed we may not be [Page 100] ingratefull. 1 Sam. 1. 8 Why wee­pest thou? (said Elkanah to afflicted Hannah) why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart troubled? am not I better to thee than tenne sonnes? how much more may our blessed Jesus say to us (when wee turne our debt of praises into dedolency, and 2 Sam. 19 2. our victory, for 1 Cor. 25. 57. which the Saints praise GOD, into mourning, and de­jectednesse of soules) why mourn you thus, who have such inter­est in me? what ever GOD doth to the [Page 101] Saints, 'tis best for them: the Physitian, better than the pati­ent knoweth what is good and necessary for him: if it be some­times best for a man to bee grieved with the Putridae carnes ferro curantur & cauterio. D. Hieronym. [...] lancer and caute­ry, how much bet­ter is it for a sinner to bee cured by affli­ctions?

'Tis a character of the blessed man, ever to praise the Lord: the Laudant [...]m v [...]de [...], [...] p [...]oba [...] amā ­ [...]em. Aug. in Psa. [...]04. wicked can ne­ver doe it: because they neither love nor serve the Lord: the sinner dishonoureth [Page 102] him in all his actions, and therefore can but subdolously praise him in words: Tis a dishonour to a good man, to have some notorious lewd fel­low praise him, Melius est ut tu vitupe­rares, quam dolosè lau­dares. Aug. in Psal. 119. twere more honour to have such a one dispraise and con­demne him: feldome doe they condemne any but the good, or No [...] nisi grande bo­num à Ne­ro [...]e damna­tum. Tertull. adv. Gent. applaud any but the evill, because every one loveth his like: he that knoweth him (said Quis e­nim nesciat nibil nisi flagi [...]i [...]sum t [...]o ore lau­dari? Ierom. l. 2. ep. 3. Sabiniano. Tertullia [...] of Nero) might under­stand, that hee con­demned [Page 103] nothing but some great good? when a wicked mouth (used to cur­sing, prophanation, and filthy talke) pre­sumeth to sing the praises of God, I may say (as Quomodo Deum vio­la [...], qui boc modo placal? M. Fel. Octa. Minucius Foe­lix, in another kind) how doth he violate the sacred Majesty of God, who would so please him? Edixit, ne quis ipsum ali [...]s quam Appelles pin­geret, quam Pyrgoteles sculperet, quam Lysip­pus ex aere duceret. Plin. nat. bist. l. 7. c. 37. Alexan­der would not suffer a­ny but apelles to take his picture, least by unskilfull hands his countenance should be misreported to po­sterity: with how [Page 104] much better reason doth GOD forbid any but his Saints to praise him, least they that know him not, should blaspheme & thinke him evill whom such men praise? he therefore that saith, Psal. 50. 5, 14. 16. Gather my Saints to gather unto me—offer unto God praise: saith unto the wic­ked▪ What hast thou to doe to declare mine or­dinances, and that thou shouldest take my cove­nant into thy mouth; seeing thou hatest to bee reformed? praise is not Ec [...]lus. 15. 9. seemly in the mouth [Page 105] of a sinner: when the divell confessed Christ, Mark. 3. 1 [...], 12. Luke 4. 41. hee sharpely rebuked those un­cleane spirits, and suf­fered them not to say that they knew him to bee the Christ; [...]. Theophylact. in Luc. 4. that we might know, such are not to bee heard though they speake truth, because they doe it to some evill end: and that Christ needed no such witnesses as both [...], ib▪ i [...] Matth. 8. professed enmity, and in their best pro­fession call the truth of Religion into que­stion; for who would [Page 106] not suspect that to be evill, which the wic­ked seeme to like and allow? therefore if thou wilt bee admit­ted into this blessed Queere, be thou Neli bonae cantilene tuae obstrepe­re moribus malis—qui laudatis, be­ne vivile— [...]auda [...]io im­pii [...]ffendit Deum▪ Au­gustin, in Psal. 146. ho­ly, that thou maist truely praise God, and trust in him, which is the next character of the bles­sed man.

Blessed is the m [...] whose strength is in thee.

Blessed are they whose confidence and trust is in the Lord. Psal. 121. 2 My helpe [Page 107] commeth from the Lord who hath made Heaven and earth, saith the Saint: Some put Psal. 20. 7 their trust in Chariots and some in horses; but wee will remember the Name of the Lord our God. And good reason: for

1. They Psal 125. 1. who trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion, which cannot bee removed. This is a trust which cannot i Psal. 9. 10. deceive.

2. None but the Saints which are the sonnes of God can trust in him: the re­probate (though he may have a false con­fidence [Page 108] for a time, as he may have Mat [...]h. 13. 20, 21. L [...]ke 8. 13. a tem­porary faith) know­eth what he must ex­pect, and therefore beholdeth God as an angry judge: but he is the just Isai 63. 16. mans fa­ther: and not onely Psal. 103. 13. pittieth him as a tender father doeth his childe, but Rom. 8. 14, 15, 16. gi­veth him the spirit of adoption to lead him, and assure him that hee is indeed a child of God.

3. They only have Rom. 5. 1, 2 accesse through faith unto his grace, by the Eph. 2. 18 spirit which [Page 109] dwelleth in them, they have peace with God who are justifi­ed by faith in Christ. God will no more re­member their sinnes and iniquities, and therefore Heb. 10. 17, 22. they may bee bold to draw neere in assurance of faith to the Throne of grace, Christ being their advocate to ap­peare alwaies and to mediate for them. He ever offereth up their ▪petitions for them Revel. 8. 3 upon the golden Altar (his precious merits) which is be­fore the Throne of God.

[Page 110] 4. Hee giveth his Psal. 91. 11, 12. Angels charge over them: and they Psal. 34. 7. pitch their tents round a­bout them: so that when they seem most forlorne, 2 King. 6. 16. they that are with them are more than can be a­gainst them.

5. Hee hath not onely given them Eph. 1. 13, 14. 16. 4. 30 Rom. 8. 23. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Galat. 4 6, 7. the first fruits of the Spirit, the earnest of his cove­nant; Qu [...]m▪ d [...]dum enim nobis arrabonem spiritus reliquit, ita & a nobis arrabonem car [...]is a [...]cepit, & vexit in coelum, pignus toti [...]s sum [...]ae i [...]luc qu [...]n­d [...] [...]ue redigendae: securae e [...]o [...] Caro & sa [...]guis, u­surpastis & c [...]elum & regnum Deiin C [...]isto. Ter­tull. deresur▪ carnis. c. 51. but ascending into Heaven, he hath [Page 111] taken up with him an earnest and pledge of their flesh and blood, which shall through him at last possesse the same blessed inheritance with him.

6. There can bee no sure trust in any other: all earthly things are subject to the Lawes of time, and therefore to sud­den and continuall changes: Thou that risest cheerefully in the morning, N s [...]is q [...]id s [...]r [...]s [...] ve­bal. know­est not what the late evening may bring. There are many [Page 112] chances in this life, & one certaine change in the end thereof: Looke on proud Dan. 4. 27 30. Ne­buchadnezzar, osten­ting his magnificent Babel, built for the honour of his Maje­sty; while the word was in the Kings mouth, the voice from Heaven told him his Kingdome was departed from him; and the very same houre was it ful­filled. Looke on pro­phane Dan. 5. 1, 2, &c. 5. 30. Belshazzar, fea­sting with a thousand Princes drinking in the impropriated ves­sels [Page 113] of the Temple of Ierusalem an unknown hand writing a terri­ble doome upon the wall, and the same night executed. Be­hold the rich man, projecting for greater barnes, singing a re­ [...]uiem to his soule, but presently hearing, Luke 12. 19. Thou foole, this night shall they take away thy soule; and thou shalt in these examples see a true scene of hu­mane changes.

The Iob 14. 2. flowers are Emblems of our Ʋita ita (que) in carne f [...]s in fan [...] est.—homo e­nim more floris proce­dit ex [...]cc [...]l­to; & subitò apparet in public [...]; qui statim ex publico per mortem re­trabitur ad o [...]ultum. Carnis nos viriditas oftendit: sed ariditas pulveris ab a [...]pectibus retre­bit. Gregor. Moral. in Iob. l. 11. [...]. 27. pre­sent [Page 134] lives, now sweet­ly flourishing in the vigour of their youth, vying beauty with the fairest Rachels, and lustre with the most magnificent ( Mat. 6. 29 Salomon in all his glory, was not arayed like one of these.) presently cropt and withered. An Aristot. Ephe­meron, whose whole story is but, oritur, mo­ritur, such is man; A morning vapour, w ^ch a little heare dissol­veth; such is man. A Ionah 4. 6, 7. Ionahs Gourd, in the height of the owners joy, smitten and wi­thered [Page 115] quite away; such is man.

1. O vaine hopes of men, and idle thoughts, how often doe you beguile us? how often are you broken in the middle of your flight; or like ceiled Doves, mount till you die? or like Exod. 14. 25, 27. Pharaohs Chariot wheeles, there falling off, where wee are most deepely enga­ged in the returning floods of sorrowes? vaine confidence in riches: Fluxa est d [...]vit [...]urum na [...]ura, &c▪ Basil. in Psal. 61. they ebbe and flow uncertaine­ly: their gliding [Page 116] streames continually change their masters: this field is thine to day, to morrow it passeth to another: looke upon this place; how often have these mountaines changed Lords, and these hou­ses, owners? all earth­ly goods, at the last houre of our lives, shall (like 2 King. 2 13. Eli [...]hs mantle, in his ascen­sion) fall from us to some others use: vaine confidence in any of the sonnes of men: the wise, the illustri­ous, the noble, the vertuous, the strong, [Page 117] the faire, the chaste, the lovely, the young, all die: experience teacheth it: one day telleth another, one night certifieth ano­ther (I would we had wanted this daies ex­ample) none are ex­empted, let us not therefore strive with our Maker, but hum­bly subject our hearts and affections to his blessed will, who ever will doe that which shall bee best for us: let us consider that tis our owne fault when we are to dis­consol [...]te, if wee will [Page 118] needs build on any but God, that ground failing us, our hopes are broken: but the foundation of the Lord remaineth sure: Fixis rati­onibus pera­guntur res eius, & quod semel decre­tum est fi e­ri, nulla po­test novita­te immutari Arnobius. advers. Gent. l. 2. his immutable de­crees are certaine, and shall take effect at the appointed time.

2. Examine thy trust in God, whether it be faithfull before the time of tryall: many professe confi­dence, and yet in try­als it faileth them. Examine therefore first, whether thy trust be grounded on Gods [Page 119] Word: that onely is infallible, and cannot deceive: the confi­dence which crosseth this, must needs faile, because this cannot: if an incorrigible sin­ner, trust to Deut. 29. 19, 20. impuni­ty: that confidence must faile him: if any man trust in wrong and robbery; that confidence must faile him, because Gods justice cannot: if any man trust in lying va­nities, hee forsaketh his Ionah 2. 8. owne mercy. If any man make him­selfe rules of wise­dome, and counsell, [Page 120] against the revealed will of God, and trust therein, (were those counsels as profound as Achitophels) the Lord will infatuate and make them voyd. If any man will trust in riches, or in his heart serve idols: his trust against Gods Word, must faile: they that make them, are like unto them, and so are all they that put their trust in them: all senselesse [...] when the N [...]c sentit sua nativi­tatis inj [...]ri­am—ita nec p [...]slea de v [...]stra vene [...] atione &c. Mi [...]ut. Eel. q. s. line is s [...]retched over the idoll, when tis hew­ed, finished, adored, it perceives not: it [Page 121] cannot defend it selfe: when, the birds sit on their heads, and spi­ders derive their slen­der webs from their mouths ( Quant [...] veriùs [...]e diis vestris animalia muta natu­raliter j [...]di­cant? non sentire cos sciunt, r [...] ­dunt, insul­tant, insi­dent: ac nisi abigatis, in ipso Dei ve­s [...]ri [...]re ni­dificant: aranea ver [...] f [...]ciem [...]ius intexunt, & de capite sua fi [...]a s [...]sp [...]ndun [...] ▪ Minut. Fel Octav. more rea­sonably judging of them, then superstiti­ous men) they feele it not. Tis not easie to resolve, which was the most unreasona­ble and ridiculous custome of heathens setting dogges, Est & anser [...] vigil cura Capitolio test [...]ta defense, per id tempus canum [...]ilentio proditis rebus: quam­obrem cibaria anserum, censores in pri [...] is locane. Plin. nat. b [...]st, l. 10. c. 22. vid. ib. l▪ 29. [...]. 3. [...]. &c. 4. init. and [Page 122] geese to keepe their Capitoll and Gods; or Nam de Senonibus quid loquar? quos C [...]pito­lii secreta penetrantes, Romanae re­liquiae non [...]ulissent, nisi eos pavido anser strepi­pitu prodi­disse: en­quales tem pla Romana praesules ha­bent! ubi tu [...]c [...]rat Jupiter? an in ansere io­quebatur? Ambros, ad Valenti [...]. relat. Sy [...] ­ma [...]h. re­spond. senselesse gods to keepe their bodies, soules, lives, and states.

2. Whether it bee built upon that which is unchangeable: Cur­sed be the man that trust­eth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, and with­draweth his heart from the Lords for he shal be like the heath in the Wilder­nesse. -Blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord, -for hee shall bee as a tree planted by the water, -her leafe shall be greene, and shall not care for the yeere [Page 123] of drought, neither shall cease from [...]eelding fruit. Iere. 17. 5, 6, 7, 8. That sailers trust must faile, who in the storme, layeth hold on a loose rope. If a man trust in Physiti­ans as Asa did, 2 Chron. 16. 12. to an Egyptian confederacie, as Ioha­na [...] and the Captaines of the host would doe, Ie [...]. 42. that trust shall faile, and this prove but a staffe of reed, Ezek. 29. 6. If a man trust in riches, as that wealthy foole in the Gospell did, L [...]ke 12. 19, 20. If in [Page 124] strength of armies, and prosperity, as Vzziah did (when he was strong, his heart was lift up to his de­struction. 2 Chron. 26 16.) they shall not helpe in the day of affliction; and the Lord will breake these: if a man trust to his owne counsels, or assistance of friends, hee may have those prove like Achi­thophels, and these like Iobs mis [...]r [...]ble comfor­ters. If a man trust in any thing in this life, or life it selfe, it must faile: Iob 17▪ 13 14. I bough I hope [Page 125] the grave shall bee mine house, and I shall make my bed in the darke. I shall say to corruption thou art my father, and to the worme▪ thou art my mother—all things under the Sunne are subject to change: there can bee no sure trust in them.

3. Examine whe­ther it be a firme and continuing trust: not onely when thou art prosperous, but ap­pearing in the grea­test of afflictions. Iob 13. 15 Though he slay me▪ yet will I trust in him, said Iob. This is true con­fidence [Page 126] which will hold the fiery tryall: and true Nunqu [...]m est patientiae virtus in prosper [...]; [...]lle a [...]tem est verè pa [...]i ens, qui & adversis atteritur, & t [...]men a [...]pei suae re [...]t [...]udine non [...]n [...]r­ [...]a [...]ur. Gre­gor. mor. in Iob l. 11. c. 18. patience, which will endure adversity Tis not the trust of the bles­sed, which, like that seed which fell on stony ground, com­meth up and dureth but for a season: M [...]tth. 13. 21. or like the Iob 6. 16, 17. rivers which are ranke in Winter, but in time are dried up with heate and con­sumed: and when it is hot, they faile out of their places▪ Which least appeare when wee have most need: [Page 127] As those [...]tellae caedentes, were never any part of the celestiall orbs: so that trust which at any time faileth, was never true. To him that Ma [...]h. 24 13▪ 46. Revel. 2. 10. persevereth un­to the end, are all the promises: resolve therefore to trust in the Lord in every estate, and that shall demonstrate thee blessed.

So we come to the last character of true blessednesse, Sinceri­ty of heart: And in whose heart are thy waies. Not mans own waies, but the commande­ments [Page 128] and waies of God: Isai. 55. 8. Galat. 5. 19, 20. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your waies my waies, saith the Lord. The waies of man are the workes of the flesh, Adultery fornica­tion, uncleannesse, wan­tonnesse, idolater witch­craft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, con­tentions, seditions, here­sies, envy, murthers, drun­kennes, & such like: but the way of God, is the fruit of his Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meekene [...]e, tempe­rance. Concerning the [Page 129] wicked, 'tis said, their inward parts are ve­ry wickednesse: The Psal. 14. 1 foole said in his heart, there is no God. Luk. 12. 17, 18. The rich man thought with himselfe, I will build greater barnes: there was the way of the world in his heart: but the way to blessednesse is Gods way: the Math. 7. 13. narrow way of faith and o­bedience to all his commandements, & (that which is not the least difficulty) con­stancie therein. Hi­l [...]rie saith well, Semitam esse q [...]ae trita est▪ in Ps. 118. a way is that which is a [Page 130] beaten path: 'tis not a pace or two, which maketh the way, but a constant walking the same way. The hypocrites heart is like an anvill, for a­ny thing to be forged thereon: like a thea­ter, on which is repre­sented, sometimes the Saint, sometimes the Devill: like a mer­cenary presse, whose Letters are somtimes set for holy pages, sometimes for impi­ous and lascivious pamphlets. But our present character is of Gods waies in the [Page 131] blessed mans heart: in this way was Enoch walking with God, till he was translated. Some goe a little way willingly, but like Raeth. 1. 14 Orpah, are easily per­swaded to goe backe to Moab. You may sometimes f [...]nde Saul among the Prothets: 'tis but for a [...] you shall after have him at End [...]r. You may finde Iu [...]as among the holy Apostles: 'tis but a flash; you shall have him after­wards with the High Priests, selling his Masters blood. Mad [Page 132] men have their lucid intervalls: the worst have some better fits, and resolutions, but in the blessed mans heart are the waies of God.

Not in the tongue, and outward sem­blance onely: Rom. 2. 29 hee is an Israelite, which is one within. Such a one was Iob. 2. 47. Nathanael, in whom was no guile. 'Tis the sin­cerity of the heart, which is the seale of the covenant of God, and marke of the blessed man. All is, as is the heart to God: [Page 133] some (like that Clem Al. [...] Paed. l. 2. c▪ 1 fine. Asel­lus piscis) have Cor in ventre; as saith the Apostle, Phil. 3. 19. Whose God is their belly. Some have the world and riches there: If riches increase, set not your [...]ea [...] [...]po [...] them: they are the thornes which commonly choke up the seed of Gods word: there [...]. Theophy [...]ct in Mat. 13. is a lawfull posses­sion; the danger is for him that will bee rich, 1 Tim. 6. 9. there is a good use of ri­ches; the danger is, if a man trust in them, or fixe his [Page 134] heart upon them: there is a good use of thornes; if they bee orderly set about the field, they make a good fence; the mis­chiefe is, if they grow up in it. Such are ri­ches, good in any place, but the heart of the owner. But thou blessed man, have the feare, love and worship of God in thine Verus cul­tus est in p [...]ctore. Arnob. l. 4. adv. Gent. heart, there all is sincere: doe not thou desire to Ne [...] [...]ppe­t [...] ultra videri quàmes, [...]t possis [...]l­traesse quàm vi­der [...]s. Greg. l. 4. cp. 58. seeme more than thou art, because the searcher of hearts be­holdeth all thy waies. [Page 135] Fronti nulla fid [...]s: a very hypocrite may have the waies of God in his externall behaviour, and yet be but like an Clem. Al. Pad. l. 3. c. [...] Init▪ Aegyp­tian temple, with a re­verend comelinesse without; but if you examine the inside, you shall finde a cat, a goat, or serpent, in stead of a God. Such Christ stileth painted Sepulchers, which have [...] ib. strom. l. 4. onely an in­scription, & name of sanctity, no more.

Thou must have these ascensions of heart, to thinke of [Page 136] God, if thou wilt be blessed. The more Moses conferred with God in the moun­taine, of the more divine countenance was hee: the more thou thinkest of God, and conferrest with him, the more like him, the more blessed shalt thou be: which that thou maist doe, Quanto plus ama­veris, tanto plus ascen­des. Aug. love him, speake to him in frequent pray­er, and study his word, Rom. 3. 16, 17. which shew­eth destruction and unhappinesse in our owne waies, but life and blessednesse in [Page 137] his. Rom. 8. 7. For if yee live after the flesh ye shal dy—But as many as are lead by his spirit, are the sons of God. Once Num. 7. 89. Exod. 25. 22. the soft voice whispered from the mercy seat, to declare all things which he would give in commandement to the children of Israel. Once the cloudy pil­lar lead them in the way, but now the word of God, the holy Scripture, is our oracle, and cloudy pillar. The Arke, which the Priests bare, I sh. 3. 6. went before Israel into Canean. [Page 138] Why they first? why not the prudent Ma­gistrates? why not the armed legions? that wee may know that there's no en­tring▪ into the hea­venly rest, true bles­sednesse, but by fol­lowing the Arke of GODS testimonie, which the Priests beare before the peo­ple, the word of God: this is as that Math. 2. 9 starre, which lead the wise men to Christ; this is 2 Tim. 3. 15. able to make a man wise unto salvation, and therfore blessed: this is as that river [Page 139] Ez k. 47 1. 9. 12. issuing from the threshold of the house of God, every thing that liveth by it, shall grow and bee fruitfull: to this the Saints resort, as doves to the waters: let us all sit downe by this, that as wee goe the Moritur omne quod nascitur. Minut▪ Fel. way of all flesh to death, wee may with the same paces goe the way of all the blessed to eternall life.

To you that mourn for the deceased, is my last addresse. Gen. 37▪ 31. 34. Ia­cob sorrowed for his loved Ioseph, when he [Page 140] had seene his coat dipped in blood: but when hee was assured by the Gen. 45. 26, 27. Chariots, which Ioseph sent to carry him, that hee was alive, and happi­ly honoured in Pha­raohs court, then the spirit of [...]acob revived. 'Tis your great losse which you bewaile, and Christs teares at Lazarus grave war­rant an holy mourn­ing for the dead: yet not beyond faith and reason: 1 ▪I bes. 4▪ 13. Sorrow not even as other that have no hope. Faith must stay excesse: and in [Page 141] reason, D [...]l [...]d [...] est q [...]o [...] na­b [...] [...]i [...] ra [...] ­tus sit: con­sola [...]dum quod ad me­lio [...]a transt­erit Am [...]ros­de Valentin­orat. setting our owne interests aside, why should wee mourne for them that are blessed? C [...]em. Al­citat. Empe­do [...]l. Euripi dem, &c. strom [...]. 3. Some ancients, which knew no more but rules of reason, wont to cele­brate their friends Natalls with mourn­ing, because all are borne to miseries, but their Funeralls with rejoycing, because in death they rested. If this our deceased Si­ster could heare and reply, would she not cry from Heaven, Weepe not for mee, for I am blessed? the [Page 142] whole course of her life proclaimeth it: Ps. 128. 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord—I am confident to say, shee did so. Mat. 5. 9. Blessed are the peace makers: to what controversy did shee ever approch, but like the Dove to the Arke, with overtures of peace in her mouth? Blessed are they that have Unity with God and his Church: Shee was a constant lover of the Saints, and the place where Gods honour dwelleth. The bles­sed praise God: it [Page 143] was her constant pra­ctice: witnesse this Psalme, often in her mouth, and one of the last shee sang a­mong the living. Is confidence in God a marke of the bles­sed? her conversati­on sounded out, Whom have I in heaven but thee—her last, Lord, Lord. expressed with breaking heartstrings and an expiring spi­rit, when death shut up her senses by a suddaine arrest, wit­nesseth for her. Is it happinesse to have the waies of God in [Page 144] the heart: I am con­fident, that malice it selfe never layed on her the imputation of hypocrite. Excuse mee in the abridge­ment which I now ga­ther. I know the light of one starre obscu­reth not another, be­cause all borrow from the same Sun; neither doe the due praises of one Saint derogate from ano­ther, 1 Co [...]. 4. 7. seeing all re­ceive of one God. She [...]. Naz. [...]at. 11. was an ornamēt of women a paterne of vertue; a blessed childe to her parents: [Page 145] a faithfull Sarah to her husband: a Act. 16. 14 Ly­di [...] to the word of God; a Act. 9. 36 39. She was none of them, of whom Cl. Alexandri­nus said, pueru [...] Or­p [...]an [...]m non adm [...]t [...]nt, quae ps [...] ­cos & [...] enu­tr [...]u [...]t. Paed. l. 3▪ [...]. 4. Dorcas to the poore widowes and orphans: a Martha to strangers: to all, as N [...]zianze [...]s Gorgo [...]ia, Citrà superciliu [...] p [...]di­c [...]. Therefore bles­sed, shee now res [...]eth in Christ, and her workes follow her. Which that wee may likewise do, the good Lord teach us all so to live, and number our daies, that wee may apply our hearts unto wisdome, wher­of his feare is the be­ginning, [Page 146] and eternall salvation the end and consumma [...]ion: heare us O Lord, and have mercie upon us, through the merits of thy Son, our bles­sed Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, to whom with thee, O Farh [...]r, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glory as­scribed in heaven and earth, now and for ever. Amen.