A Magnificent title, a most ample and stately Style, too transcendent and comprehēsiue for any creature, Man or Angell, due and fit onely for him, vpon whose head it is heere set, by his elect vessell, chosen of purpose to bee the Ensigne-bearer of his Name among the Nations, [Page 2] worthily honoured by Augustine for the best childe of grace, and faithfullest seruant of the Lord, be­cause in all his writings hee affects nothing more; nothing else in a manner, then to aduance his name, as heere in the former part of the verse, to crie downe and nullifie all other excellencies whatsoeuer, that hee might in the latter, magnifie, or rather as you see omnifie his Lord and Master Christ, giuing the Collossians to vnderstand, that how euer there bee many things with men, of great and different e­steeme, the aduantage of a Iew being much aboue a Gentile; the dignitie of a Grecian, aboue a Scythian, or Barbarian, many the priuiledges of a freeman, a­boue a bond-slaue; yet all these with God, are nothing set by, who hath so set all his loue and good pleasure on his Sonne, that besides, [Page 3] or out of him, hee regards no per­son, respecteth no circumstance, but slights all as Ciphers of no va­lue. Onely looke what there is of Christ in any man, either by impu­tation, or infusion, so much is hee in Gods Books, with whom Christ is All in All.

The extent of which praise, that wee may the fullier comprehend, we may not measure Pauls phrase by our owne ordinarie language, in which by common abuse of speech, wee lend it to euery thing wee meane to commend a little a­boue the fellowes: As Salomon, speaking after the sense and fashi­on of worldlings, Bread (sayes he) nourisheth, Wine refresheth, but Mo­ney is all in all. Eccles. 10. It is not true of Christ onely, as a by-word, or pro­uerbiall commendation, but in the fullest racke, a Proposition can bee strained vnto in our apprehension: [Page 4] and that in a twofold relation of God and Man. [...]. Looke what God can require for his satisfaction, or wee desire for our perfection, is so compleatly to be found in Christ, that it need not bee sought else­where.

With God, its true that worthy Patriarchs and Saints haue been some bodies; Abraham his friend, Israel a potent Prince with him, Moses a faithfull Steward in his house, Noah, Samuel, and Daniel, preuailing fauourites, that could doe something with him, but all through, and for the sake of the Messias, the Heire, the sonne of his desires, and good pleasure, in whom hee hath heaped vp the ful­nesse of grace and treasures of all perfection.

Vnto vs sundrie things bee of some stead and vse in some cases in their seuerall times, places, and re­spects, [Page 5] but vnto all intents and ef­fects of Iustification, Sanctification, and Saluation, in prosperitie, in ad­uersitie, in life and death Christ only is All in All.

This All-sufficiencie of Christ as it cannot bee easily conceiued, nor possiblie at once expressed, so hath not the Spirit of God, thought fit in one or a few Texts, after one or a fewe wayes, but throughout the Bible, at sundrie times and manifold manners to set out the same vnto vs in types reall, in types personall, in pro­phesies, in plaine termes, in pa­rables and similitudes, Philip Camera­rius in vita Co­mitis Anb [...]l­dini Pastoris & Principis, &c. in so much that Count Anhalt that Princely Preacher was wont to say, that the whole Scriptures, what were they els but swadling bands of the child Iesus? hee beeing to bee found al­most in euery Page, in euery verse, and line.

[Page 6] Many renowned persons, [...] ille qui in fronte libri cer [...]itur collectus est ex Cyrilli. Alexan. [...] libris 5. ex pro­speri praedictio­nibus, ex Eusebii [...], lib. 10. ex Andronici Constantini Dialogo con­tra Iudaeos. & ex Guill. Sc [...]to. and things we reade Stories of, but the Spirit speaks not so much of them, as Allegorizeth of another, mea­neth them on the by, and Christ on the maine, who is the Center, at which all of them, as seuerall lynes aime, and directly point at.

The tree of Life, the Arke of Noah, the Ladder of Iacob, and the rest of the like kind, what were they but Christ, whom because the world was not worthy so soone to see, nor God willing at once to shew so rich a Iewell: hee therefore in­wrapped obscurely in these shad­dowes, till in the fulnesse of time hee saw fit to reueale him in open Mirrour, directly by his Forerun­ner, pointing at him, Behold the Lambe of God, &c.

And because these were but dead types, not resembling to the life, him that was the Life of the [Page 7] world, and Lord of life, therefore all the Prophets, Kings and Priests of note, and the redeemers and be­nefactors of the Iewes, what were they but Pictures sent before of this Prince of Glory to follow af­ter in his due time, and as Starres extinguishing their borrowed light at the appearance of the Sunne of Righteousnesse, Glossa Hebr. in Easy 52. to whom Moses, and Elias, in the persons, and stead of the rest, Vide Pellicanū in Deut. 34. did their homage on Mount Tabor, as vnto the Sunne, and accomplishment of the Law, and Prophets.

To say nothing of the imagina­ry Gods, and proud Monarchs of the world, all whose swelling titles, which they vsurped in their coines Columnes, and Arches of Foun­ders, Preseruers, Repayrers, Dicta­tors, Consuls, &c. properly and of right belong to him, who alone is the Sauiour of his people, King of [Page 8] Kings, mightie Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Righteousnesse, Immortalitie, onely blessed for euer.

In a word, this whole Vniuerse, this same great All, and all the things of mark and vse in it, as they were made by, for, and through him, and but for him should not haue been, could not continue. So doe they all willingly tender their seruices to illustrate his worth, as so many Gemmes to adorne and embroyder his apparrell withall. The glorious Sunne, the bright morning Starre, bread the most ne­cessary, wine the sweetest, water the most refreshing, the Rose of Sharon the fairest, all seruing in Scripture to adumbrate pieces aud parcels of his infinite perfection; and doe not all ioyntly compoun­ded, make vp an Idea of him, that is light indeed, bread and water of life indeede, the onely good, the [Page 9] chiefe good, the Sunne, the Au­thour, and Perfectour, the Roote, and Branch, the A, and [...], which two Letters, as they are the prin­cipall, initiall, and finall of the Al­phabet, Vide Eglinum Iconium in A­pocalysin. and comprehend in their Compasse all the residue, so are they Emblems of him that is eter­nitie it selfe, perfection it selfe, first and last, All in All.

Heare this, all you that worship the Beast and his image, and tell mee whether there can bee two Alls in all; and if this be Christs iust and incommunicable Title; what is to be thought of him that shall arrogate or assume it to him­selfe? what else can he be but that Man of Pride, Sonne of Perdition, euen that Antichrist. Vniuersalis Sa­cerdos. Epist. 30. ad Mourit. Re­gist. b. 6. The swelling Titles, whereby your Gregory fore­marked out the Successour, are but modest ones in comparison of this blasphemy.

[Page 10] Yea, but was there euer mouth so full of abomination, that durst belch out; or eares so Herodian, that durst put vp such stuffe? Search and peruse your owne Records, and tell vs to whom these accla­mations were vsed by your Late­rane Fathers. Vide orationem Gnat [...]onicam Episcopi Patris Vacensis ad Leo­nem X. in vltimo Concil. Late­r [...]nensi. To thee is giuen all power in heauen and earth, thou art all in all. Was it not your Lyon at his entrance into the Councell? And did that Beast either rend his garment, or stop his eares? at which its wonder the earth opened not to swallow quick both speaker and hearer, as the Chaire of Hilde­brand rent asunder on a lesse occa­sion. Too little belike it was to be stiled by ordinarie Parrasites, the Shepheard of Shepheards, Bellar. de Ponti­fice Rom. lib. 2. cap. 31. Spouse, and head of the Church, Oecume­nicall Bishop, Prince of Priests, vnlesse hee might bee aduanced aboue all Augusteitie and Deitie in [Page 11] this most Hyperbolicall manner. What neede wee any further eui­dence of an Antichrist? shall there euer come a prouder monster out of the Tribe of Dan? or can Lu­cifer himselfe be more Luciferian? And yet forsooth this wretch to blind the eyes of such as will be de­luded, will be called the Seruant of seruants, & al is made whole again, as if the Scriptures, & ancient mo­derne Writers had not forepainted out such an Antichrist, Aug. lib. contra aduersarios legis cap. 12. as should by all fraud of vnrighteousnes climbe into the Chaire of vniuersall pe­stilence, Hylarius contra Anxentium pa­ [...]eus in Apoc. Gratserus in regia plaga. vnder the colour and vi­zard of Christ, Faith and Pietie, (without which the world would haue abhorred him, as the Deuill himselfe) vndermine Christ, and subuert the Faith, and ouerthrow all Religion, vnder the names of Christs Vicar, & Vice-God, become in effect Antichrist, and Anti-God.

[Page 12] Somewhat more tollerable of the two, Tuspes certae [...]serorune, Vere Mater Orp [...]ano [...]um, Tu leuamen oppressorum, [...]edic-men Iu­si [...]norum, omni­bus es omnia. [...] Deut. and yet blasphemously e­nough, doe they giue it to the bles­sed Virgin, in the Closes of their riming Marials, of whom I doubt not with Caluin to say, That if one could spit in her face, drag her by the haire of her head, or trample her vnder feet, shee would count it a lesse iniury, then to haue ascribed vnto her the diuine attributes of her Lord and Sauiour, Ambros. de Isaak & anima, cap. 8. who alone is the Eye by which wee see the Father, the mouth by whom wee speake to him, the hand by which hee distributes all his treasures of grace vnto vs, from whom so much is sacrilegiously detracted, as is su­perstitiously giuen to Saint, Angel, Man, Worke, Merit, or Creature what euer. Mad and blinde Idola­ters are they, wittingly ignorant, that Christ of purpose trode the Winepresse alone, F [...]xin Apee. shed his blood [Page 13] alone, shed his blood alone vpon the Crosse, implying to vs, that if wee shall mingle therewithall, his mothers milke, the blood of any Martyr, else it looseth its healing vertue, and turnes into bane and poyson to our soules. This Eagles feathers will not abide blending with others; [...] this Soueraigntie will not endure either paritie or prio­ritie; no Iupiter will Christ be, but a Iehouah; no Helper, but Authour and finisher of our saluation. To all Hee Saints and Shee Saints, Me­rit and Freewill-mongers, shall hee not in his Iealousie breake out and say, What haue I to doe with you? If you can doe all, Aesopus in vita. or ought at all without mee, then let mee alone, let mee either bee Sauiour alone, Mediator alone, All in all, or none at all.

But to leaue these selfe-cousned, and selfe-condemned Idolaters, [Page 14] whose whole Church and Religi­on holds more of her Ladie, then of our Lord; leaues Christ the least of all to doe in matter of Merit and Saluation, well were it with many of vs, who professe and hold the precious faith of Christ aright in iudgement and doctrine, if in affection and practise hee were, I say, Erasmus in E­uangelio. not All in all, but some body, and some thing. In our tongue, termes, and countenance, hee may be heard and seene, but in our liues and deedes, where is hee to bee found? Sine Christa Christiani Bern. As a Sauiour and Bene­factor, many will owne him, but as a Lord and Law giuer, few doe know him; the prime of their loues, ioyes, seruices, their backe and belly, their Mammon, or any thing shall haue before him. Hee that should bee both Alpha and O­mega, its well if hee bee the Omega of their thoughts and cares. May [Page 15] it not be iustified of too too many, that an Hawke, or an Hound, a Dye, or Card, a Flowre in the Garden, a new Suite and fashion of apparell, and such other nifles and trifles are their All in All: with most and such as are of the wiser sort of this generation, that which Salomon iustly calls Nothing, (for so hee peremptorily termes that, which miserable men of this world place all their confidence in) call their Pandora, August. de Ciuit. Dei. their Iupiter, wor­ship as the great Diana, Empresse, and goddesse of the whole world, take away that from them, and take away All: the hauing of it makes them, the loosing of it vn­does them. Great I confesse is the power, and ample the commaund that Mammon hath in this world for many purposes, and in many cases. But in the houre of sick­nesse let Naball call and crie vnto it [Page 16] and see if it can deliuer him in the euill day, and in distresse of con­science. Let Iudas see what com­fort his money will afford him; in the day of Death and Iudgement, what does a penny and a pound, an emptie purse, and a full purse dif­fer? Does not too too late experi­ence teach them to cry out, All is vanitie, and force them with the Emperour Seuerus to say, I haue been all things, and it auailes no­thing; if I had a thousand worlds, I would giue them to bee found of God in Christ. Worthily there­fore did Charles the Great, Sie vetus illud, Nummus regnat, nummus vincit, nummus impe­rat, mutauit Ca­rolus magnus a­pud Rensureum. change that old By-word of money into his Christian Symbole, Christ reignes, Christ ouercomes, Christ try­umphs, Christ is All in All.

All then let him bee in all our desires and wishes: Who is that wise Merchant, that hath heart large enough to conceiue and be­leeue [Page 17] this? let him goe sell all his nothing, that he may compasse this Pearle, barter his Bugles for this Diamond; verily all the Haberdash stuffe the whole pack of the world hath, is not worthy to bee valued with this Iewell, worthy of him thou canst not bee, vnlesse thou counts all drosse and losse to gaine him, that is gaine in life and death, vnlesse thou canst as the Apostles, forsake all to follow him; yea, as diuers of the common sort of his followers lay downe all at the A­postles feete for him, who layd downe himselfe for vs, emptying himselfe of his glorie, to fill vs with grace and glory: yea, vnlesse thou canst make nothing of thy selfe, and thine owne righteous­nesse, which is the hardest thing in practice that may bee. Few or none I thinke there bee in the sound of the Gospell, but haue [Page 18] some faint and languide wishes, oh that Christ were mine. But would they know the reason why they attaine not the sweet fruition and rauishing possession of him, I am his, and hee is mine. The reason is because he will not bee found, and had of such as seeke but lasily, and coldly for him, that enquire not through the streetes, as vndone without him; as had rather then want him, want all the world be­sides, and crying as the Spouse, Where art thou whom my soule lo­ueth, whom haue I in heauen like vn­to thee? Men and brethren, what shall I doe that I may enioy him? Giue me Christ, or I die, draw mee that I may run after thee.

These are the affections that be­fit them that are like to bee spee­ders. The sluggard lusteth, and wanteth. He that desires any thing aboue him, equally with him, or [Page 19] without him, shall neuer obtaine him; he will bee wooed in the first place with all thy soule, strength, and might, with all that is within thee, or not at all of thee.

All let him bee in all thy loues, and aboue all other beloueds; when thou hast gotten him, thinke not enough to make much of him, but remember hee well deserues to bee and must bee All in all. Take him not by the hand, but embrace him with both thine Armes of loue, and hold him with all thy might, loue him till thou be sicke of loue for him: such as will suf­fice any one ordinary obiect, wife, friend, health, or wealth, will not giue him content; nay, not a compound of many, but a Catho­licion of all; as hee hath deserued, so he deseruedly challengeth. All thy weake Riuerets vnited, will scarce make one current strong [Page 20] enough for him. Hee that did all, suffered all, tooke all thine infirmi­ties, finished all for thee, is it not reason he should be all in all, with­out any corriuall in all thy affecti­ons? Such as entertaine Princes, can neuer thinke they shew loue enough vnto them, and shall any thing bee enough for this Prince of our peace and saluation? I cannot but reuerence the memory of that reuerend Diuine, M. VVelsh. who beeing in a deepe muse, after some discourse that had passed of Christ, and teares trickling abundantly from his eyes before hee was aware, be­ing vrged for the cause thereof, confessed ingenuously it was be­cause hee could not draw his dull heart to prise Christ aright: A rare minde in Christians, who thinke euery little enough, and too much for him.

ALL let him bee in all our refe­rences [Page 21] and respects to others, yea in all our elections and valuations of wife, friends, companions, ser­uants, onely to prize Christ, and his Image, his Faith, and Graces, not kindred, not wealth, not great­nesse, not other parts, but onely the whole of a man, which is his Christianity; dare not to yoke thy selfe vnequally with any vntamed heyfer, that beares not his yoke: Spouse not but in the Lord; call none Father, Mother, or Bro­ther, but such as hee did, that is, such as doe his Fathers will: set not poore Lazarus at the foote­stoole of thy heart, and Diues with his Gold Ring, and his Purple, in the throne of esteeme, lest Christ bee offended for hauing his glori­ous Gospell in respect of persons. Oh what a difficult vertue is this when it commeth to the practising, to ouersee and neglect all glistering [Page 22] lures, and stales of the flesh, and to know no man for any such carnall Caparisons, but to consider him as a new creature in Christ, and de­light thy selfe in them as the most excellent of the earth, the onely true Gentile, Noble, Worthies of the World. How royall and me­morable was that practise of Ingo, an ancient King of the Draues and Veneds, who making a stately feast, not as Ahasuerosh, to shew the bountie of his owne, but the glory of Christes Kingdome, set all his Nobles, which were at that time Pagans, and vnconuerted to the Christian faith, in his Hall be­low, and certaine poore Christians in his Presence Chamber with himselfe, with kingly cheare and attendance; at which they won­dring, hee told them this, hee did not as King of the Draues, but as King of another world, wherein [Page 23] these were his consorts and fellow-Princes: these hee saw with a spi­rituall eye, clad in white Robes, and worthy his company, to them he would giue Ciuill due in the re­giment of the Common-wealth, but those he must loue and honour in his heart as beloued, and hono­red of God. Aeneas Syluius cap. 20. Europ [...] Auentinus, lib. 3. Annalium Bauarie, G [...]u [...]. A rare and noble Art recorded by three Historians wor­thy to be read, to the shame of our times, wherin men of meane great­nesse, know not how to shew the least respect to a Christian, or a Minister in the name of Christ, to account them worthy their com­pany, whom they ought to haue in singular respect, and to accompt their very feete beautifull, for their Lord and Embassage sake, onely with this Prouiso, that diuine and nimious adoration be not giuen, a fault on the other hand, common in Poperie, to their spirituall Fa­thers [Page 24] and Founders of orders and rules whom they obey and reue­rence aboue Christ, Gualtan 1. Cor. as Gualter giues instance in a doating Abbot of Germany, who snibbed a No­uice, for talking of Christ, and the Gospell, and nor of the Rules of Saint Francis, and his owne Order; a common fault among Sectaries, who hold, vaunt and denominate themselues of this or that Man, of this or that Faction, whereas with God I dare boldly say, there is neither Caluenist nor Lutherane, Protestant nor Puritane, Confor­mitane, or Non-Conformitane, but faith and loue in Christ is All in All.

All let him be in all our ioyes, in stead of all other contents vnto vs; good reason is it, that he should fill our hearts, that filleth All in all things: If hee bee ours. Apollo is ours, Cephas is ours, Life and Death, [Page 25] things present, and to come, the world and all is ours, we Christs, and Christ Gods. In him let our soules rest and reioyce; Pau [...]inus Nola capta à Barba­ris pre [...]abatur ad dommum ne ex [...]eier ob aurum & argentum, tu enim es mihi omnia. I say againe reioyce alwaies in him. If hee bee our Shepheard, what can wee want? If hee bee our Host, shall not our Table be furnished, and Cup ouer­flow? If wee erre, is not hee our Way? If we doubt, is not hee the Truth? If wee faint, August. de Ciuit. Ve [...] lib. 1. c. 1. Fas tibi non est saluo Caesare de fortuna quert. Hoc incolani nihil perdid [...]sti non tantum sic­cos oculos, sed & laeto esse oportet. In hoc tibi omnia bie pro omnibus est. Seneca in con­solatione ad Polybi [...]m, qua [...] ­to aptius de Christo ad Chri­stiam m, &c. is not hee the Life? What losse should disturbe vs, what want distemper vs, so long as wee loose not Christ? What if God take away all, and giue vs his Sonne, how shall he not with him giue vs all things requisite? What other mysterie enabled Paul to want and abound, but the fruition of him, whose goodnes and great­nesse is such, that all accessions adde nothing, all defects detract nothing to the happinesse of him that enioyes him, who is All in All.

[Page 26] Aboue all, All let him bee with vs in the maine of All, that is in the poynt of Iustification; there (bee sure) we repose all our confidence in him alone, bewaring least wee share and part stakes with any act of our owne, yea, with any grace or worke of his in vs, lest hee bee in vaine and of none effect vnto vs. This glorie will hee by no meanes endure, should bee diuided with any coadiutor, concause, or co­partner what euer: nay, he takes it ill and indignely at our hands, if hauing him, we hold not our selues compleatly righteous in Gods sight, if for want of this or that grace wee mourne ouermuch, hang downe our head, and will not bee comforted, as if his grace were not sufficient for vs, as if he were not better then tenne, yea, then tenne thousand graces vnto vs, if wee stand vpon this or that mea­sure [Page 27] of grace, twenty to one if we had that wee desire, wee would be full and rich, and stand in no need of him, who is the giuer of all grace, or that wee would be prou­der of the gift, then of the Author of euery good gift, and not rest in him that is our wisdome, our righ­teousnesse, and redemption.

All let him be in all the graces of Sanctification, who onely indeed is the very life and soule of them all. What is knowledge but Hea­thenish science, if hee bee not the obiect, whom to know is eternall life? What is faith, and trust, and hope in God? if not in & through Christ, but a Iewish wild vngrounded confidence? Patience, but a Stoicall blockishnesse? Tempe­rance, and all the whole beauty of vertues, but either naturall quali­ties, or morall habits vnaccepta­ble to God, vnprofitable to our [Page 28] selues, soure Grapes, glistring vi­ces, if Christ bee not the forme of them, without whom there is no qualitie that God relisheth in vs, whereof Christ is not the roote: wherefore as Apothecaries swee­ten all their Confections with Su­gar, and perfume their Cordials with Muske; so let vs grace all our graces in Christ, without whom, fooles wee are to pride our selues in any thing that Na­ture. Custome, or Education hath done for vs, in comparison o [...] that influence wee receiue, and of those rayes that come from this Sun of Righteousnesse. Fooles are wee, when wanting grace, po­wer, or strength to ouercome ill, or doe well; to seeke supply any where else, saue of him, of whose fulnes all the Saints that euer were receiued grace for grace. Who would goe to the Packe, when hee [Page 29] may goe to the Warehouse, who would fetch water at the Cestern, when he may haue it at the Spring head better cheape.

All let him be in all our deeds, whether we eat or drinke, whether wee pray, read, or meditate, giue Almes, or worke in our callings, let all bee done in the name of our Lord Iesus, begun with his leaue, performed with his aide, and con­cluded to his glory, without whom wee can doe nothing, Macarius. no more then the bird can flye without wings, the Ship saile without wind or tyde, the body mooue without the soule: what euer good workes we doe with an eye from his, and a skew vnto our owne names; the more paine wee take, the more penaltie of pride belongs vnto vs, the more cost, the more losse; wee and our moneys shall perish toge­ther, whereas the least Cup of [Page 30] cold water giuen for his take, who knowes our workes, and the intent of our workes, shall not loose the reward: Verely, who would be so foolish as to doe any worke to any other pay-master, or who so vngratfull, that would not doe any worke that he should require that hath so well deserued to command more then all wee are, or can doe. Is he All in All with vs, If we dare deny him any thing. I commend not the discretion, but admire the fidelitie and zeale of that renow­ned Foxe, who neuer would deny Beggar that asked in his Name: Then are works good works, When the loue of Christ constraines vs to them, and when Christs eye is more then all the world besides; especially, If when all is done, all the thankes and praise of the Deed redound to him. That pollicie is remarkable in the Apostles cure of [Page 31] the Creeple, and in Saint Paul, in that he would neuer suffer any part of the repute or honor of any his acts or labours, rest vpon his owne head, but repells it forcibly from himselfe, and reflects it carefully vpon his Lord Christ: Not I, not I, but the grace of Christ in mee, I liue not but Christ in me. In which Not, sayes Bradwardine, there lies a great deale of subtiltie, like that of Ioab, that when hee had fought the Field, and gotten the vpper hand, sent for Dauid to carry away the credit of the Victory. Oh how difficult is this for vs, not to lurch some part of the praise, and suffer peeces of the Sacrifice to cleaue to our owne nets and yarne. Where­as in truth, our deepest wisdome and strongest policie lay in this, not to glorie in our wisdome or strength, but to glory in the Lord, who worketh All in All things.

[Page 32] All, let him bee in all our thoughts and speeches, how hap­py were it if he were neuer out of our sight and minds, but that our soules were directed towards him, and fixed on him, as the Sunne-flowre towards the Sunne, the Iron to the Load-stone, the Load-stone to the Pole-starre. Hath he not for that purpose resembled himselfe to all familiar and obuious obiects; Musculus & Brentius in Iohannens. to the Light, that so often as wee open our eyes wee might behold him; to Bread, Water and Wine, that in all our repasts wee might feed on him; to the Doore, that in all our out and ingoing, Bernard. wee might haue him in remembrance; how happy if our tongues would euer runne vpon that name, which is Hony in the mouth, melodie in the eare, Iubilee in the heart. Let the Marriner prate of the windes, the Merchant of his gaine, the [Page 33] Husbandman of his Oxen. Bee thou a Pithagorean to al the world, Nolanus. and a Peripatecian to Christ, mute to all vanities, and eloquent onely to Christ, that gaue man his tongue and his speech? How doth Paul delight to record it and harpe vp­on it eleuen times in tenne verses, which Chrysostome first tooke no­tice off, 1. Corinth. 1. 10. And how doth worthy Foxe grieue to foresee and foretell that, I [...] prafated con [...]ionem de Christo cruci­fixo. which wee heare and see come to passe, that mens discourses would bee ta­ken vp about trifles and nifles, as if all Religion lay in the flight and pursuit of one circumstance or o­pinion; how heartely doth hee pray, and vehemently wish that men would leaue iangling about Ceremonies, and spend their talke vpon him that is the Substance; that learned men would write of Christ, vnlearned men study of [Page 34] him, Preachers make him the Scope and Subiect of all their preaching. And what else indeed is our Office, but to eleuate, not a piece of Bread, as the Romish Priests, but Christ in our Doctrine; to trauell in birth till hee bee formed in a people, to crucifie him in their eyes by liuely prea­ching his Death, Philip Melan [...]. in Rhetor. and Passion. The old Embleme of Saint Chri­stopher, intending nothing else but a Preacher wading through the sea of this world, staying on the Staffe of Faith, and lifting vp CHRIST aloft to bee seene of men. What else gained Iohn, the name of the Diuine, and Paul of a wise Master Builder, but that hee re­garded not as the fashion is now adayes, to haue his Reading, Me­mory, or Eloquution, but Christ knowne, and him crucified, and to build the Church skilfully, lay­ing [Page 35] the foundation vpon this Rock of which if we hold our peace, Lutherus. the rocks themselues will cry. This be­ing the summe of our Art & tasks, by the helpe of Christ, Perkins. in Pro­phetica. to preach the Gospel of Christ, to the praise of Christ, without whom a Ser­mon is no Sermon, Preaching no preaching.

The summe of the summe of All is, that the whole dutie of all men is, to giue themselues wholly to Christ, Nagie [...]ze [...] de Spiritis. to sacrifice, not a legge, or an arme, or any other piece, but soule, spirit, and bodie, and all that is within vs; the fat, the in­wards, the head and hoofe, and all as an holocaust to him dedicating deuoting our selues to his seruice all the dayes and houres of our liues, that all our dayes may bee Lords dayes. To whom when wee haue so done, yet must wee know we haue giuen him so much [Page 36] lesse then his due, as wee wormes and wretched sinners are lesse then the Sonne of God, who knew no sinne. To him therefore let vs liue, to him therefore let vs die. So let vs liue to him, that wee may dye in him, & breathe out our soules most willingly into his hands, with the like affection that Iohn of Alexan­dria, surnamed the Almoner, for his bountie is reported to haue done, who wher hee had distribu­ted all hee had to the poore, and made euen with his reuenues, as his fashion was yeerely to doe in his best health, thanked God hee had now nothing left but his Lord and Master Christ, whom he lon­ged to bee with, and would now with vnlymed, and vnentangled wings flie vnto: or as in fewer words Peter of old, and Lambert of later times; Nothing but Christ, nothing but Christ.