VT liberati. A The Equitie of Gods Couenant. That wee being deliuered. I To shew the great equitie on Gods part of the Couenant, 1. Vt, without liberati. we say first: that we were to serue Him, though liberati were left out; being, or not being deliuered. This to be our first point.

The Noble Armie of Martyrs, it was all their case, they serued out their seruice, without any vt liberati, any bond of tem­porall deliuerance. Farre from any liberati, were they three, that were vpon casting into the fire, Dan. 3. 17. and, euen then, said: Our God, [Page 8] whom we serue, Hee can deliuer vs out of thy hands, Verse 18. and from the fiery fornace. But, if Hee will not, (not deliuer vs) Be it knowen vnto thee, O King, we will not serue thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set vp. That is, serue Him, we will, whether He de­liuer vs or no. Will yee heare an Heroi­call spirit, indeed? Not, etsi me non liberârit, Though He should not deliuer mee: but, etsi me occider it, Iob 13. 15. yea, though He should kill me, To die for it, I will doe my duetie, and serue Him, though. It is IOB. These stood not vp­on liberati: But, deliuerance, no deliuerance, come of it what would, they were at a point, would and were resolued to serue Him. 1. Cor. 6. 5. And ( [...], ad erubescentiam no­stram dico, I speake it not to our commen­dation) If there were in vs, any remnant of their generous spirit, God should not need to come in Indentures with vs. It sauours somewhat of a mercenary, that. Seruiamus should hold, and let liberati goe, whither it would: And wee, liue and die, His seruants, though He had not, or should not deliuer vs. This is vt without liberati.

[Page 9]But then, vt, with liberati. If God take vs, 2. Vt, with li­berati. as He findes vs, and say with the Apo­stle; parco autem vobis, 1. Cor. 7. 28. 6. Goe to, I beare with you; & [...] by way of indulgence, cōde­scend to condition with vs, if Hee come to vt liberati; shall not that hold vs? Our due­tie being absolute, depending vpon no vt, if vpon speciall fauour, God will come in bonds, and let it runne in this tenor, That, being deliuered, wee shall serue Him; else not: shall we not then doe it? This being done, I maruell what we can alleadge, to decline our duety; vnlesse we meane, it should be, fast with God; and loose with vs; Hee bound to doe all for vs; and we free, to do nothing for him.

And yet a third (to magnifie His mer­cy, yet more, 3. Vt, with li­berati, first, before Seruia­mus. and to tye vs the harder to our Couenant) vt, is not onely with liberati, but with liberati, first: God is bound, and first bound, to doe for vs, before wee doe ought for Him. It is not, That wee should serue him, first, and then He deliuer vs, after: But, that he should first deliuer vs, and after, when wee are deliuered, then, and not be­fore, [Page 10] we should doe our seruice. It is not libentudi, shalbe, or may be, hereafter: it is liberati, are already. So we are aforehand with Him. Hee hath done His, before we begin ours. Liberati, you see, precedes serui­amus: liberati, the tense past, seruiamus but the present, (and I would it were the pre­sent) I doubt, for a great part, it is yet to come.

And the reason, why He will haue it so to praecede; is, He would haue our seruice grow out of His fauours, our duety, out of His bounty. That, is the right, and, (in­deed) the Euangelicall seruice. If He haue vs at the advantage, on the hip (as we say) it is no great matter, then to get seruice at our hands. None more seruile then wee, then. But, that, is the Legall, for feare. And that sometimes he hath, but likes it not; He would haue it, out of loue, out of the sense of His goodnesse, haue our hearts broken, with that. That, is the onely acceptable seruice to Him, that growes out of that root. The seruiamus that growes out of li­berati, deliuered and serue: first deliuered, and [Page 11] then serue. This for the equitie of the Co­uenant on Gods part.

NOw come I to plead, B The Perfor­mance of Gods Coue­nant. that on Gods part this Couenant was performed, that li­berati we were. Heauen & earth would rise against vs, That deliue­red. and condemne vs, if wee should 1 not confesse liberati, this day. Heauen saw it, and was astonished: And it is gone ouer all the Earth, the fame of it. But, that, wee doe. The keeping of this day, the meeting of this assembly, are both to acknowledge and professe, that a liberati there hath bene.

Nay, not one alone: Twise deliue­red. Two there haue bene: and two such, as our eyes haue seene, but our eares haue not heard, Psal. 44. 1. neither could our fathers tell vs, of the like. Two such, as no Age euer saw, nor can bee found, in any Story. That of 88. This of 605. (both, within the compasse of seuenteene yeeres) One by strand, the other by land: (as they say.) From a Fleet by Sea, from a Vault by land, Psal. 71. 20. de abyssis terrae (as saith the Psalme) as well, as de abyssis maris: a Summer; and a Winter deliuerance: either of them, like this [Page 12] of Zacharies, able to bring Benedictus, from a dumbe man.

2 So, deliuered we were. But, a deliuery is a thing at large, a From our enemies. though it be, but from a mischance, from some heauy accident, it is a deliuery. But, if it be from our enemies, it is so much the more: as, In that, there is no­thing but casualtie: In these, there is ran­cour and malice, they hate vs: So this the greater danger by farre.

And there is much in the enemies: Mortall enemies. Of thē, some reach but at our states, lands or liue­lihoods: Other some, nothing will satis­fie, but our liues. Euery enemie is not mor­tall, where he is, the danger is deadly. Ours were such, sought to bring vtter destru­ction on vs: and not on vs alone, but on ours: nor on vs and ours onely, but on the whole land in generall.

Againe, Secret ene­mies. of such as be deadly, Psal. 74. 4. some are roaring enemies (the Psalme so calls them) such as threaten and proclaime their en­mitie, like those in 88. Others lurke, like vipers, that sting to death, without any hissing at all; as were ours, (this day) which [Page 13] are the more dangerous, a great deale.

This made it (indeed) to be more then liberati, More then li­berati, (which is) set free. (ours.) Liberati, is properly set free, and freeing is but from Seruitude. This was more. Our death was sought, and we deliuered from death, and that a fearefull death, vnprepared, suddenly, in a moment, to bee shattered to pieces. And, yet it was liberati too, Yet liberati too. in the proper sense: for, vp­on the matter, it was from both. The Pro­phets diuision would haue taken place in it; Iere. 43. 1 [...]. Qui ad mortem, ad mortem; qui ad seruitu­tem, ad seruitutem. They, that had bene blowen vp, to death; they, that had bene left, to Seruitude (to a State more mise­rable, then death it selfe.) So, in one libe­rati, wee had two. Esther. 3. 73. Both from that of Ha­mans lots, which were, to death (onely that was [...] in Hebrew, this was [...] in Greeke) And from that of Babylon, besides, which was thraldome, and confusion. Thus were we deliuered from our enemies.

But from the hands of our enemies, is more 3 then from our enemies. The hands of our enemies, not our ene­mies. For, let the malice of an enemie, be what it will, if his handes be [Page 14] weake, or short, or we farre ynough from them: the matter is so much the lesse. But, if we come within his reach, if hee get vs within his hands, then God haue mercie on vs.

Specially, if there be in his hands, a knife thus engrauen, To cut the throats of the Eng­lish haereticks, as, in 88 diuers so engrauen in Spanish, were brought from the Fleet, and shewed. Or, if there be in his hands, a match, ready to giue fire to 30. barrels of powder (not so few.) If the hands be such; that is then, a deliuery, not from our enemies onely but from their hands, or (as wee say) from their very clouches. Yee will marke, that through all the Psalmes, euer, the part is still enforced: Psal 22. 14. 11. 124. 6. Not from the Lions, but, from the Lions pawes: from the hornes of the Vnicornes, from the teeth of the dog: So here, from the hands, from the bloody handes of our enemies.

4 Further, From their hands, not out of them. I say, it is more, to be deliuered from their hands, then out of them. For, if (out) then (in) first. They must first be in the hands, that are deliuered, out of them. [Page 15] But from them, that, may be from com­ming in them at all. The better deliuerance of the twaine. And, that was ours: And that was Christs: Hee is said, to haue loosed the sorrowes of hell, In Act. 2. 24. Non quibus nexus est, sed ne necteretur, saith Augustine, Not, where­with He was bound; but that Hee might not be at all bound with them. So we, not by taking vs out, but keeping vs from, from their hands, from the hands of our enemies.

Let me yet stay a little. Deliuered, the Manner of it Er [...]ti. For (me thinks) we may finde in this word, not onely our deliuerance, but euen the very maner, and the meanes, of it. Not, in liberati, the Latine: but, in S. Lukes owne word, [...], that will come home to both.

[...], that is, properly, eruti. Eruti, that fits vs, for the maner, two wayes.

Eruere, From a darke hole. is de tenebris in lucem educere. Out of some darke deepe hole, (as it might be the cellar) to bring foorth something to light, Psal. 7. 13. (as it might be those same vasamor­tis, vessels there couched, and destined to the blowing us all vp.) It must bee some darke vault, or pit, vnde, from whence: well [Page 16] therfore said of vs eruti, that were deliuered from a pit-danger, a danger vnder ground, in abyssis terrae, in the deepe of the earth.

Secondly, From a ruine or fall. eruere, the compound is, from ruere (the simple) that is, from a ruine; Not, as if we should haue fallen into the pit, but that, there was there bestowed within it, that which would haue sent vs vp, that downe we should haue come, haue fallen downe, all to pieces. Ruina it would haue bene, and therefore eruti, right. And they talke of helping incendium ruinâ. Here there had bene incendium & ruina both, and nei­ther helped other: but both bene past all helpe.

Deliuered from a ruine; With the ruine of our enemies. But eruere is then in kinde, when we are so deliuered from a ruine, as with their ruine, that sought ours. So it was. We parted not of euen hands, we from them, and they from vs, neither of both, a fall. No: wee fell not (no fall with vs) they fell, Psalm. 10. 8. and had a foule fall. Wee were so deliuered from their hands, as they deliue­red into ours. Wee eruti: they ruti & caesi both, Psalm. 9. 15. fell and were slaine. The pit they digged [Page 17] they fell into themselues: In the snare they layed, was their owne foote taken. The highest de­liuerance of all (so much made of, in the Psalmes.)

And thus much was before implied, Implied in cornu salutis. when it was called cornu salutis, a horne of saluation. Vers. 2. The saluation that so comes, comes euer with the perdition of the ad­uerse partie. So, is the horne expounded in Deuteron. 33. With these shalt thou strike thine enemies, and push them, as any wild beast. Ven­tilare is the word, Deut. 33. 17. Tosse them up, into the wind, vpon the top of their horns, till they haue gored them, and brought them to their end. Such was our horne of saluation, or (as we turne it) a mighty saluation. God shewing his might no lesse against them, then for vs: visited and redeemed vs mightily, in His mercie; visited and ruined them as mightily, in His wrath.

And againe, Deliuered, The Meanes of it, By a King. in this, not onely the maner, how, but the meanes whereby. For, hee hath raised vp a horne of saluation. Now to raise vp, must needs be interpreted of a person, the meanes of the deliuerie. Who was that? [Page 18] In Daniel, Dan. 7. 24. Reu. 17. 12. and the Reuelation, I finde it toti­dem verbis, decem cornua, decem Reges sunt: Alluding therein, as to their great power, so somwhat to the anointing thence pow­red on their heads: that it should bee salus Regia, and per Regem. A deliuery wrought by a King: Eruende By picking out. the King of Heauen to worke it, mediante Rege terreno. In cuius labijs diuina­tio, if euer it were in any's, who did there­by eruere that, Prou 16. 10. out of the darke phrase, by which we all were eruti. And so, not the manner alone, but the meanes in it, too, that we were eruendo, eruti.

5 And last, that all this was sine timore. For in the verse so it stands, That deli­uered without feare. first, vt sine timore liberati. And stands so first, that we might take speciall notice, and note of it. And though divers Writers draw (sinetimore) to seruiamus, as if there were an hyperbaton, to serve Him without feare: Yet what should let vs, so to take it, as it stands? Specially since diuers of the Ancients take it so: (I name O­rigen, Titus Bostrensis, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Theophylact.) But we may well recon­cile them both, if we say, (which truely we [Page 19] may say,) That, without feare we were deliue­red: to serve him in a state without (or voide of) fea [...]e.

It is a great fauour, when we are deliue­red, to be deliuered, absque hoc, that we be at all put in any feare. Some, are sometimes saued from their enemies, but it is, with some fright first. It was the lewes case, when from Haman: Est. 4. 3. It was ours, in Anno 88.

They that are so, it cannot bee denied, but deliuered they are, but not sine timore li­berati, not deliuered without feare. This was without feare. Our case, iust. Wee had no sense and so, no feare at all, of the danger, till it was past. I cannot better expresse it, then in Theodoret's owne words. Sed si sic dicendum est, (saith he) veluti non sentientes ita, nos de periculo transtulit in securitatem. If it may so be sayd, without any sense or fee­ling at all, did hee translate vs, from the depth of danger, into the state of securitie. In which point, ours did come neere to the great deliuery of the world, by CHRIST, what time the world little thought, either of their owne perill, or of his paines and [Page 20] passion, that deliuered it. Without feare, or any other passion. Yet, in this, ours had more then was in CHRISTS owne de­liuerie. That there, though it were with­out feare, yet not without somewhat as e­uill, as feare. For CHRISTS was wrought by his innocent death (a matter of sorrow, and griefe.) But in ours there was none, neither feare nor griefe, nor any other vn­pleasant passion. No innocent suffered here; none but they, that had their heads in the contriuing, or their hands in the dig­ging about it. Without feare it was, without any thing else, that might taint our deliue­rie, with the least matter of grieuance.

So then, The recapitu­lation of all the former. ¹ deliuered we were. ² And not from the casualtie of any mischance, but from the malice of enemies: Enemies, and those ³ capitall; And those ⁴ close hidden enemies: from them; yea, ⁵ from their very hands: And ⁶ From their hands, not out of them. And our deliuerie was eruti, ⁷ from something in abyssis terrae; And ⁸ from a ruine too: ⁹ And that, with their ruine, that sought ours. ¹⁰ Our saluation, cornusa­lutis, a Royall deliuerance: ¹¹ And yet eruen­do [Page 21] it was. ¹² And all absque timore, ¹³ Or absque any thing else, that might blemish our ioy, with matter of sorrow in the least degree.

And this for Gods part; who hath re­membred His holy Couenant (I trust) and performed it in euery clause, nay, in euery word, to vs, to the vttermost.

NOw, to our part (which we may be put II in suit for. Our Couenant, or Condition.) Liberati then, is cleere. But how? absolutely? at large? absque aliquo inde? No condition annexed? No vt? Yes: take the vt with you. Liberati, vt. Deliue­red, that we should: Deliuered That we should. Should do somewhat: for, naturaliter obligamur ad dantem. This vt is naturall, there groweth a naturall ob­ligation between him that doth, and them that receiue a good turne, (And a deliue­rance, specially such a one, is a good turne.) The fields we till, the trees we plant, shew it. They returne their fruit to them, that bestow labour, or cost vpon them. That (I know not how) but so it fals out, in mat­ter of benefits, we be not so soone loosed, [Page 22] but we be tied againe: Nor eased, but loa­den afresh: Nor freed, but bound anew. It is the Law, the bond of nature, this, Liberati vt.

And that vt, Should serue him. is vt seruiamus. And this particular, vt, groweth out of the Law of Nations. There the Law is, vt victus sit in potestate victoris, the conquered, euer, in the power of the Conquerour, to take his life, or to saue it, at his pleasure. But, if hee will saue it, then comes the voluntary vt, or Couenant. He that hath his life sa­ued, to vow to bestow it, in his seruice, that did saue it. Serui (the very name) came of seruati, They that should haue died, and were saued, did willingly couenant, serua & seruiam, to serue him, by whom their liues were preserued. This beeing the Law of Nature, and Nations, why should not the God of Nature, the King of Nati­ons, bee allowed it? that if our liues haue bene by him saued: we should, frō thence­forth, come to this vt, vt seruiamus Illi.

Well, We would have couenan­ted to serue Him. well, it is past now; if it were to come. It is, that we being deliuered. if it were, [Page 23] that wee being to be deliuered, wee would tell another tale then: wee would be glad and faine so to couenant, O deliuer vs (then) but for this once, and we would serue Him, (that we would) and bee holy and righteous, and what he would besides. Put any vt, to li­berati, then. Wee would then seeke it of Him, that now is offered by Him, to be de­liuered, if being so deliuered, wee will coue­nant, but to doe that, which we are bound to doe, deliuered, or no.

And, why should wee thinke much of this seruiamus? We should have serued, If not deliue­red. All the world knowes, if the plotte had gone on, and the powder gone off, the whole land should not haue scaped vt seruiamus: But should haue ser­ued duram seruitutem, And serued a worse. For the ser­uice, seruiamus. been not in seruice, but in seruitude. Their seruitude, is chan­ged into this seruice. A blessed exchange for vs. Great oddes betweene those two: Nay, no comparison at all, betweene Gods seruice, and their seruitude; their bondage, thraldom, slauery, tyranny, I cannot heape too many names. Gods seruice is freedome in respect of that: Nay, without any respect [Page 24] at all, His seruice is perfect freedome, wee say it, we pray it, euery day.

And, if no comparison, in seruiamus; None, in Illi For the par­tie. Illi. (I am sure.) Nay, if there were any thing to mislike in seruiamus, amends is made for it, in Illi. For the seruice, is much thereafter, as the Illi, the partie is, whom we serue. Dignitate Domini honorata fit conditio serui. He may be so great a State (we serue) as, it is an honor to serue Him. Now, how great a Lord, For His Greatnesse. the Lord of lords is, what shall I need tell you? Psal. 145. 3. There is no ende of his greatnesse. How great, and how good withall, For His Goodnesse. res ipsa loquitur: that appeares, by our deliuery, in part: and more shall, by his eternall reward layd vp, for them that serue Him. There is, in all the world, no more honorable, nor beneficiall Seruice, then, this seruiamus Illi.

But say, we haue no mind to serue Him; if we serue not Him, If we serue not Him, some other wee must, and worse. yet serue we must, and serue we will, if not Him, some other. It is the condition of our life, one or other serue we doe. We must hold of some Lord: if free from one, another wee serue: And, Rom. 6. 18, 20. [Page 25] who is that other? when we are free from God, from righteousnesse, we serue sinne and Sathan, (a worse seruice, I dare say) better then; bee free from them, and serue God in righteousnesse.

But, if we will not serue Him; I aske, what will wee doe then? Those worse be His enemies. will wee serue his ene­mies? for so are these. Wee were not deli­uered from our enemies, to serue His enemies, (I am sure.) That were a foule shame for vs: that were against all reason. But, if wee serue not Him, we serue them. Resolue then to serue Him, that hath saued vs: Not, his enemies, in a prophane and vnrighteous: but Him, in a holy and righteous course of life. And so, am I now come to that, wherein our seruice lieth.

IN holinesse and righteousnesse. The Matter of our seruice, Wherein. In which two, in a sort, are recapitulate the two Tables of the Law: Holy to God, Righte­ous to men. Quod quis reuerenter se habeat ad diuina: Quod quis laudabiliter cum hominibus conuersetur, (saith Chrysostome) Reuerently to performe holy dueties: Laudably to [Page 26] haue our conuersation among men.

Both these, (first) not either of them. To spend our seruice but in one, Holinesse and Righteousnesse, Both. is but to serue Him by halues: in both, then, to serue Him. Neither in an vnrighteous holinesse; nor, in an holy kind of vnrighteousnes. Neither with the Pharisee, Matt. 23. 5. to haue all our holines in our Phylacteries and fringes, and frequenting the Lectures of the Law, (no matter how we liue:) Nor with the Saducee, Acts 23. 8. liue indiffe­rent honestly, but neither beleeue spirit, nor looke for resurrection: be Christians, like Agrippa, in modico, a little Religion, Acts 26. 28. vpon a kniues point, wil serue vs. Neither in holi­nes then onely, nor in righteousnes onely, but in both.

In both, but in their order though, Holinesse, first. as they stand; And holines stands first. So, to rec­kon of that as our prime seruice. For, if there had not been some meaning in it, it is sure, righteousnesse might haue serued for both: Religion, holinesse, all vertues are [...] in it. Suum cuique (saith righteousnesse) and in that, Matt. 22. 21. is quae Dei, Deo. Euery one, his due, And so God his.

[Page 27] Yet are they euer thus parted, here, and elsewhere: Partly, to set out Gods part by it selfe, Ecclus 47. 2. (as the fat from the sacrifice) for the dignitie of his person: Partly, to keepe vp the distinction, which euer hath, and euer must be maintained, of seuering things sa­cred from common; and holy, from hu­mane dueties. And partly also, to checke the conceit that runs in the world abroad, O, he is a good man, liues quietly with his neighbors, payes euery man his due: Eue­ry man his due? and how then? shall God lacke his due? I trow not, but haue his too, and his first, Reason is, He be first serued.

And holinesse is His due: you may read it, in the plate of gold, in the High Priests forehead, Exod. 28. 36. Holinesse to the Lord: you may heare it, from the mouth of the Seraphim, Esay. 6. 3. they mention none of all his Attributes, but that: That they doe, and doe it, thrise ouer; Pointing vs thereby, what is chiefe in Him, and should be chiefe with vs, and whereto we should chiefly direct our ser­uice. Holinesse, is His due: and (heare you) so His due, as the Apostle is direct, totidem [Page 28] verbis, without this due payed, Hebr. 12. 14. without ho­linesse, shall no man euer see God.

But then, you will marke, To serue Him in holines. it is to serue Him, in holinesse. Holinesse is one thing: To serue God in Holinesse, is another: Holinesse we may haue, (at least, thinke our selues to haue) but, a stately, surly kinde of holinesse it is, so as in our holinesse, we serue him not. But it is not ynough to be holy: a seruice in holinesse is required at our hands: that we acknowledge a seruice in holines, and as ser­uants, cary our selues, and serue Him, in it.

Our seruice in holinesse I diuide, as the Psalme doth: Our seruice in holinesse in the congrega­tion. Either in secreto sanctorū, when we are alone by our selues, (as, there, in se­cret, good folks faile not, to serue Him.) Or, in Synagogâ, in the open assembly, Psal. 111. 1. with the congregation.

Our secret holinesse I meddle not with Abscondita Deo nostro, I leaue it to God. Deut. 29. 29. I hope, it is better, and more seruice-like, then our outward is. Deut. 29. 29. As abscondita Deo, so re­uelata nobis. Our Church seruice, our seruice in Synagogâ, the outside of it (so) that is no secret, all men see what it is, that full home­ly [Page 29] it is, nay full rude it is, (and lightly the meaner the persons, the more faultie in it) Our holinesse is growen too familiar, and fellow like; Our cariage there, can hardly be termed seruice, there is so very little of a seruant in it.

When we doe not onely serue Him, but doe our seruice before Him, (both, are in the Text, illi, and coram illo) as, that we do, when we come hither, it is to professe our ser­uice, that we come. When we come, before the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord of the whole earth, (so the Psalme doubles it, Psal. 97. 5. to make vs thinke on it the better) then, saith he, worship Him in decore sancto, Psal. 96. 9. in a holy kind of decencie, or (as we read it) in the beautie of holinesse. Our holinesse should haue a kind of beautie with it. 1. Thes. 4. 4. Holinesse and honour the Apostle ioyneth them together, Godlinesse & grauitie, [...] and them too. 1. Tim. 2. 2. Now this is that, the world com­plaines of; there is not that decor, that beau­tie: not that honour, not that [...] that ve­nerable graue behauiour, in our holines, we cary not our selues in His holy Sanctuarie, where our holinesse should be at the holiest, [Page 30] nor at His seruice there, as seruants should, and vse to doe.

We stumble at the very threshold. Our seruice in adoration or worship of Himselfe. Our very first seruice, (or, rather the introducti­on to our seruice) in the first Table, (the table of holinesse) is there set downe to be, adorabis. Wee turne it, shalt worship. Exod. 20. 5. How that is, we are told euery day in the Psalme, Let vs worship, and fall downe, and kneele be­fore the Lord our Maker. Psal 95. 6. It was euer in the Primitiue Church, the first voyce was heard, the first thing they did, ante omnia a­doremus Dominum, qui fecit nos, Before wee doe any thing, let vs fall downe and wor­ship the Lord that made vs. And, it shall neuer be found, that they came in, with­out it. But, this shall, that men came to the Temple, purposely to adore, and that, that they did, though their time, or occasions would suffer them to doe nothing else. That, they held a seruice, of it selfe. Now, a­doration is layed aside, and, with the most, neglected quite. Most come and go with­out it, Nay they scarse know, what it is. And, with how litle reuerence, how euill beseeming vs, wee vse our selues in the [Page 31] Church, cōming in thither, staying there, departing thence, let the world iudge.

Why? what are wee to the glorious Saints in heauen? The worship of the Saints in heauen. doe not they worship thus? Off goe their crownes, downe before the Throne they cast them, Reu. 4. 10. and fall downe themselues after, when they worship. Are we better then they? Nay, Of the Saints in earth. Are we better then his Saints on earth, that haue euer see­med to goe too farre, rather then to come too short, in this point? There was one of them, and he was a King, (no lesse person) when it was thought, hee had done too-much, What? vncouered? yea vncouered (saith he) and if that be too vile, 2. Sam. 6. 22. vilior ad­huc fiam plusquam, I will bee yet more vile; Why, it is before the Lord, before whom we cannot be too low. To humble our selues before Him, it is our honour, in all eyes, saue such as Mical. And, I read of none, but of Rabsak [...]h, that vpbraided King Ezekias, for saying to his people, You shall worship be­fore this Altar. Esa. 36. 7. No more then, is sought from vs, then Kings on earth, then crow­ned Saints in heauen, in their holy seruice, doe before Him.

[Page 32] In Malachies time, things were growen much to this passe, that now they are, Gods dis­daine of our worship. to this want of regard; to thinke any seruice (though neuer so slight) would serue God well ynough. When they were come to this, God is faine to take state vpon Him, and to tell them plainely, He would haue them know, Hee is a King, and a Great King, ¹ Great; Mal. 1. 14. for He is King of the whole earth, Psal. 47. 7 Others, but of some part of it. ² Great: for Hee is King for euer and euer; Psal 10. 16. Others, but for a terme of yeeres. ³ Great: for Hee is King of Kings, and they His lieges, too, Reu. 1. 5. whose lieges wee all are. And so falls to terms with them, that He held scorne to be so slighted ouer, euen to these very words, Shall I take it at your hands? And then, Mal 1. 13. 8. bids them go, & do but offer such seruice, as this, to their Prince, doe but come before him, on that fashion: See, if he will be content with it, or accept his person (that is) giue him a good looke, if any should so appeare in his presence. No more wil God: He know­eth no reasō, why any king or creature on earth, should be vsed with more respect, or serued with more reuerence, then He.

[Page 33] Thus serue we Him, in His holy worship: Our seruice in his holy things. how serue we Him, in his holy things? In the Sacra­ment. how serue we Him, in our holinesse there? I will begin, and take vp the same complaint, that the Prophet Malachi doeth. First, Mensa Domini despecta est: Mal. 1. 7. The Table of the Lord is not regarded. That Sacrament, that euer hath bene compted, of all Holies the most holy, the highest and most solemne seruice of God; (where are deliuered to vs, the holy Symbols, the precious memori­als of our greatest Deliuery of all:) why, of all others they speed worst. How are they in many places, denied any reuerence at all, euen that which Prayer, which other parts haue? No seruice then: No seruants there: but bidden guests, haile fellowes, homely and familiar, as one neighbour with an­other. And, not onely, de facto none they haue: but, de iure, it is holden, none they ought to haue. And that, so holden, as ra­ther then they shall haue any, some wil suf­fer for it, or rather, for their owne proud follie, in refusing it. What time they take the cup of saluation, they will not inuocate, Psal. 116. 13. at least not be in specie inuocantis: as the [Page 34] King the Prophet would. What time they receiue the cup of blessing, 1. Cor. 10. 16. they will not re­ceiue it as a blessing, as children receiue it frō their parents, and their children from them. Both which, inuocation, and receiuing a blessing, were neuer done, but de geniculis. What shal the rest looke for, if thus we serue Him, when wee are at the holiest?

Shall wee now come to seruice indeede? Our seruice of God in the seruice, that is, in prayer. [...] the word here in my Text. It is no new thing, for one species, to carie away the name of the genus from the rest, as in this: For though there bee other parts of Gods seruice: yet Prayer hath borne away the name of seruice, from them all. [...] the Hebrewes call their Common Prayer, and that is, seruice. And the Greekes, theirs, [...], and that is so, too. And wee, when we say, At Seruice time, and the Seruice booke, and refuse to be present at Diuine seruice, meane so likewise. And, God him­selfe seemes to goe before vs, and direct vs so to doe. For His house, He hath named the House of Prayer. (Obseruing the Rule, Esa. 56. 7. to giue it the denomination, from that which is the chiefest seruice in it.) As indeede, [Page 35] when all is done, deuotion is the proper, and most kindly worke of holinesse: and, in that serue we God, if euer wee serue him. Now, in what honour, this part of holinesse is; what accompt we make of this seruice, doe but tell the number of them that bee heere at it, and ye shall neede no other cer­tificate, that in His seruice we serue Him but slenderly.

Thou hast magnified thy Name, Psal. 138. 2. On seruice of God in the Word. and thy Word aboue all things, saith the Psalme. Af­ter inuocation then of His Name; let vs see how wee serue His word; that part of His seruice, which in this Age, (I might say, in the error of this Age) caries away all. For, what is it to serue God in holines? why, to go to a Sermon: All our holiday holinesse, yea, and our working day too, both are come to this, to heare (nay, I dare not say that, I cannot prooue it) but, to be at a Sermon.

The Word is holy (I know) and, I wish it all the honour that may bee: but, God forbid, wee should thinke, that in hoc vno, sunt omnia. All our holinesse, is in hearing: All our Seruice, eare-seruice: that were in effect, as much as to say, all the body were an eare. 1. Cor. 12. 17.

[Page 36] An error it is, to shut vp his seruice in­to any one part, which is diffused through all. Another, so to do, into this one. It is well knowen that, all the time of the Pri­mitiue Church, the Sermon was euer done, before the seruice begun. And that, to the Sermon. Heathen men, Infidels, and Iewes, Heretickes, Schismatikes, Ener­gumeni, Catechumeni, Poenitentes, Competentes, Audientes, all these, all sorts of people were admitted: But, when they went to seruice, when the Liturgie began, all these were voi­ded; not one of them suffered to stay. It were strange, that, that should be the only, or the chiefe seruice of God, whereat, they which were held no seruants of God, no part of the Church, might and did remaine no lesse freely, then they that were.

But euen, this holy Word (wherein all our holinesse is) how serue wee Him, in it? Nay, we serue him not, we take the greatest libertie there, of all other. We come to it, if wee will: wee goe our wayes, when wee will: stay no longer, then we will: and li­sten to it, while we will: and sleepe out, or turne vs and talke out, or sit still, and let [Page 37] our mindes roue (the rest) whither they will: take stitch at a phrase, or word, and censure it, how we wil. So the word serues vs to make vs sport: we serue not it. At this part of our seruice in holinesse, we demeane our selues with such libertie (nay licenti­ousnes rather) that holy it may be, but sure seruice it is not, nothing like. And truely, it is a notable Stratageme of Sathan, to shrinke vp all our holinesse, into one part: and into that one, where wee may bee or not be: Being, heare or not heare: Hea­ring, mind or not minde: Minding, either remember or forget: Giue no account to a­ny, what wee doe or not doe; Only, stay out the houre (if that) and then goe our way: many of vs, as wise as we came: But all (in a manner) hearing (as Ezekiel com­plaineth) a Sermon preached, Ezek. 33. 32. no otherwise then wee doe a ballad sung: and doe euen no more of the one, then we doe of the o­ther. Eye-seruice God likes not (I am sure) no more (should I thinke) doth Hee eare-seruice. Speake on Lord, 1. Sam. 3. 8. for thy seruant heareth (and well if that, but scarce that, otherwhile) but, speake on Lord, whether [Page 40] thy seruant heare or no: would any of vs be cōtent with such seruice? Yet this is all: to this, it is come. Thus we serue Him in ho­lines: This seruice must serue him (as the world goes;) for if this way we serue Him not, wee serue Him not at all.

But all Gods seruice in holines, Our seruice in holinesse out of the Cōgregation. is not in the Church. Some is abroade. And, when we are forth of the Church, neither Word, nor Sacraments, nor Cōmon Praier, there: Onely there, we serue Him in his Name.

And, To His Name. Psal. 111. 9. Psal. 99. 3. Holy and reuerend is His Name (saith one Psalme,) And, Great and fearefull is His Name (saith another.) Now, how vnholily, this holy; how vnreuerently, this reuerend Name is vsed; vpon how small cause this great, how without all feare, this fearefull Name is taken vp in our mouthes, I must say it againe and againe (which S. Augustine saith) aures omnium pulso, conscien­tias singulorum conuenio: I speake to the eares of all in generall; I conuent the conscience of euery one in particular, that heareth it. That, Psal. 138. 2. which by Him is magnified aboue all things, is by vs vilified beneath all things. We pray for it, first; Mat. 6. 9. we regard it last, cer­teinly. [Page 39] For if it be indeed holy, let no man count it common. Acts 10. 15. If not count it so, not vse it so: for, what we vse as common, eo ipso, we make it vnholy ( quantum in nobis est;) for, common and holy are contradiuidentia.

¹ And to make it so common, that is to profane it: Euill enough that. ² But in the eagernesse of our spirits, to vse it to grie­uous exercrations, that is more, Ezek. 39. 7. euen to pollute it: A worse matter farre. ³ But be­yond both those, to let it come to this, that wee grow vnsensible of both, and both passe from vs, and wee haue no feeling of either, this is worst of all. Call wee this to serue Him in holines, for this dayes deliuery, when we so serue His Name?

But neither is all Gods Seruice in holines alone: Our seruice to God in righteousnesse. Some is in honest dealing with men, in righteousnes: God is serued in that too. He that hath done a piece of good iu­stice, downward: that hath done his dutie to his Superior vpward: that hath dealt equally with his euen Christen: in so do­ing, hath not only dealt wel with men, but done God good seruice also. That a man may go from Church, and yet say truly he [Page 40] goes to serue God, if he goe about these.

Well, how goes our righteousnes? how serue wee God there? Diuers errours are committed in that, too.

One is of them, Holines held a discharge from righte­ousnes. that thinke holines a dis­charge from righteousnes quite. So they serue God, and heare Lectures (as the terme is) they take themselues liberty, to pay no debts, to put their money out to vsurie; to grinde their tenants; yea, and so they misse not such a Lecture, in such a place, they may doe any thing then. Nay, God is ser­ucd in righteous doing, as well, nay better, then in holy hearing.

A second kinde (which I like not nei­ther) that when men deale honestly, Righteousnes held no ser­uice. keepe touch, pay their debts: they are so braue, so imperious vpon it, so like great Lords, as if righteousnes were no seruice, all were mere liberalitie they did, men were bound to them for doing it, they were not bound to doe it: Nay, wee serue in righteousnes too, That also is a seruice (sure.)

A third, and that very common, Righteousnes measured by the Common Law. of them that make the law of man, a scantling of their righteousnes: And further then that [Page 41] wil compel them; they will not go, not an inch; nor so farre neither, sine timore, but for feare. Yea, not onely our righteousnes to men: but euen our feare to God is taught vs by mans precepts: and in both, Esa 29. 13. so the Sta­tutes of Omri bee obserued, all is well. Mica 2. 6. 16. But, whatsoeuer a man else may make sure, he cannot make sure his soule, by the law of the Land. This righteousnes here, goes vp to God and his Law: and pierces deeper be­yond the outward act, euen to the inward man: whence, if ours come not, or whi­ther, if it reach not; Man wee may, (per­haps) but God, in righteousnes, serue we not.

But euen according to mans Law, Our righte­ousnes too much worke. our righteousnes goes not well so, neither. The Philosopher giues a rule, when a people is iust or righteous, according to mans law: (Gods hee knew not) and that is, when iu­stice wants worke, hath little to doe. By which rule, ours is in no very good case: Men are so full of suits, so many causes de­pending before euery seate of iustice: Iu­stice, so much to doe: and all, to repaire the wrongs of our vnrighteous courses, while each one seekes rather, to ouer-rule [Page 42] men by wrong, then to serue God by right.

And, this were not so euill, if all the in­iustice were below: The Seats of righteousnes faultie. if the Seates which are set to doe iustice and righteousnes, were themselues right. For, fares it not euen with them, Hos. 5. 10. as the Prophet Hosee saith, The Princes of Israel are as they that remooue the land marke? Each Seate seeking to enlarge their owne border, and to set their meer­stones within the others ground? A full vnnaturall thing in a body, that one arme should neuer thinke it selfe strong enough, vntill it had cleane shrunke vp the sin­newes of the other. But I stay. These things, being amended, wee shall bee so much the more in a forwardnesse, to serue God, both in holines and righteousnes: And so, for the matter of our seruice, keepe our Couenant.

II FOr the maner, now. To serue Him, ¹sine timore, The Manner of our seruice How. without feare: ² coram ipso, before Him: ³ omnibus diebus nostris, All the dayes of our life.

¹ Sine timore, That, without feare. without feare. And so, in a [Page 43] sense we do. So without feare at all, as if men were afraid, to seeme to feare God. But, this is no part of his meaning. Without feare (here) is not without feare of Him, (of God) but, that being now without feare of our enemies, we should doe it, the rather. For, who being in a bodily feare; who hauing Pharao and his host hard at their backes, could quietly thinke of seruing God? That, Exod. 14. euen God himselfe, Exod. 20. did rid his people of that feare, before euer hee gaue them his Law, to serue Him by. But when mens minds are quiet from the agonie and ter­ror of it, when they are setled in tranquillo: they should in all reason then, better in­tend His seruice.

And, wil we (thinke you) if we be so out of feare, intend it the better? without doubt, in experience, we finde it contrary. For, except we be held in feare, wee scarse serue Him at all: how soone we are out of feare, we forget our selues, and our seruice, yea God, and all. True: yet for all that, the seruice so done in feare, is but a dull heauie seruice. It likes him not. God loues laetus lubens, when being at libertie, with a libe­rall [Page 44] minde, we doe that we doe. Laeti seruie­mus Regi (say they in Genesis) and, Gene. 47. 25. it pleased the King: And it pleaseth God as well, if the seruice wee doe, wee doe it cheerefully, without mixture of feare, or any seruile af­fection.

Without This feare to serue Him, but not without His feare. Nam, si Dominus, Mal. 1. 6. if He be a Lord (as if we be His seruants, a Lord hee is) vbi timor? where is my feare, saith hee in Malachi? As loue, to a father: so feare to a Lord, doeth belong most properly. And, this is not Old Testament onely: the A­postle is as direct, in the New, if wee will serue Him to please Him, (and as good not serue, as seruing not please) if wee will so serue Him: Hebr. 12. 28. wee must doe it, with reuerence and feare [...] Neither rudely then, without feare, nor basely, with feare: But reuerently, with feare, and cheer­fully without feare: (that is the meaning)

2 To serue Him, coram ipso, before Him. Coram ipso: That, before Him. Exod. 20. 3. for, coram me, is the terme of the Law. As if He were present, and looked on. And it helps much to our seruice, so to doe it. Helps our reuerence, not to doe it [Page 45] rudely: (we doe it before Him.) Helps our sincerenesse, without hypocrisie, to doe it, as before Him: For, these two words, coram ipso, are the bane of hypocrisie.

All things are before Him: In nothing can we get behind Him, or where He can­not see vs. But, somethings are before Him and men, both: Those, we call not, before Him, properly. Properly, that is before Him, that is before none but Him. That is the heart. Coram homine, the seruice of the eye: Coram ipso, the seruice of the heart. Men loue no eye-seruice, neither, if they could discouer it, but they are faine to take it; the heart is not coram ipsis; Coram ipso it is: Vp­on that, is His eye: and nothing pleases Him, if the heart be away: for that, of all o­ther, is His peculiar coram ipso.

It is a broken seruice, if any part, chiefly, if the chiefe part (the heart) be away. It would be entire, and with all parts, since all are before Him.

It is a mock-seruice, as if what serues man, would serue Him: as if wee could complement it with God, with faces and phrases, as with men we doe.

[Page 46] ³ The last, is omnibus diebus nostris. As sin­cere, without faining: That, all the dayes of our life. So, constant with­out fainting. Coram me, excludes the Phari­saicall seruice of the outside of the platter: Omni­bus diebus, the Bethulian seruice, Matth. 23. 25. Iudit. 7. 30. for certaine dayes, and no longer.

You shall haue few, but will serue God at a brunt: haue certaine pangs of godlinesse come vpon them at times: be affected for the present, with a deliuery, grow a little holy vpon it. That little, is little worth. God complaines in Malachi. That in their holines they puffed, and blew, Mal. 1. 13. as men short-win­ded, quickly weary of it, and soone out of breath. And in Hosee, Hos. 6. 4. that their righteous­nesse was as the morning cloud, scattered, and gone, before the Sunne was an houre high.

To serue Him then, not with vsura exigui temporis some smal time: primis diebus, two or three dayes at the first, and then, defun­cti, we haue quit our selues well: but, from day to day, as long as there is a day left to serue Him in, So long to serue Him. To serue Him to the very last.

The mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done his marueilous acts, Some dayes more then some other, though. Psal. 111. 4. that they ought to be had in [Page 47] euerlasting remembrance; all of them. But some more specially: for some are more then marueilous: As, was this of ours. That if quibusdam diebus, would serue for them: Omnibus diebus, is little ynough, for this. So, more then gracious: so more then maruei­lous: so more then both, in this: as the memorie of it, neuer to die, neuer to decay, but our dayes & it, to determine together.

And for all that, More The dayes since. though omnibus diebus, all our dayes, and in them all: yet, not in them all alike. So in all, as, in some, more then other some, Suscipiunt magis & minus. So then to serue: as in our dayes after the deliuerie, we doe it, more, and better, then before. And, And this day, most. vpon the day it selfe (that is, as this day) we do it, most of all.

THus, It wil be wise­ly done to keepe our Couenant. we haue layed foorth our Coue­nant, both for Matter and Manner. Wherein, if wee will deale as iust men, wee must keepe it: and, if deale as wise men, we will keepe it. For, who knowes, but wee may (perhaps) stand in need of a deliuerie a­gaine? If we behaue our selues frowardly in His Couenant, what shall become of vs, [Page 48] then? How shal we hope for such another at His hands? And, if He doe not, who can deliuer vs from such another?

But, We shall be without feare of such an­other. such another (wee hope) shall ne­uer come: And I wish, and hope so, too: But should hope so the rather, if I could see, wee did but set our selues to serue Him, as sath bene said. Otherwise, the Deuill, he is our enemie; (that is once) And, if we had no other, hee is ynough: An vnquiet spirit he is; I trust him not, though euer since hee sleeps the foxes sleepe. For the breach of our couenant, if he beelet loose, he is able to doe mischiefe enough. And we haue the amends in our hands. Liberati we had, seruiamus we returned not. Re­turne it then, and then, wee shall be without feare of any more.

And, not only without feare: We shall bee in hope of a reward. but we shal be in hope also; And that, not of a new deli­uerāce only (if need be) but, of a furthermat­ter: For, though our seruice bee due, with­out any: but much more due, vpon a deli­uerie, specially such as ours this day was, though no more euer should bee done for vs: yet, that we may know, we serue a Lord [Page 49] of great bountie, this shall not be all: Ouer and aboue our assurance to bee deliuered, toties quoties; we shall not be vnconsidered for our seruice, besides. Let our deliuery goe, transeat: He desires no seruice, but for a reward.

And so I returne now to the word of our seruice, Reward is in the body of the word [...] (to serue) Text, [...]. In [...], there is [...]: And [...], is a recom­pense, or reward. Gods seruice is [...] Deli­uered we were, by Couenant: Of His great bounty: Rewarded we shall be beside. It is in the very body of the word, (this.)

So, here is [...] and [...] in our deliuery: And [...], in our recompense. Let one of them, [...] or [...] or, if not one of them, both of them preuaile with vs, to see Him serued.

And, what shall the reward be? The reward of our seruice, I wil tell you that, and so end. It shalbe the Grand de­liuerance in Benedictus, here. As ours of the day was a riddance of vs, from our bo­dily enemies, for the time; and we set in a state of temporal peace, which we haue en­ioyed euer since: So, Without feare. the finall reward of our seruice shalbe a riddance frō our ghost­ly [Page 50] a enemies, for euer, that come not with a puffe or blast of Powder, but with a lake of fire and brimstone, Reuel. 14. 11. the smoke whereof shall ascend foreuermore. To be rid of them, and so being rid, to enioy a State, of per­fect, of eternall peace, and securitie, with­out euerfearing more, sine timore, indeed.

And, Before Him. to make it euery way correspon­dent, for coram ipso, here: it shalbe, coram ipso, there. Psal. 16. 12. Euen in his presence, in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy.

And for omnibus diebus, here: All the dayes of our life all the-days of this transitorie, short life, we shall enioy it all the dayes of Heauen. Omnibus diebus? nay omnibus seculis, all the Ages of eternitie. And so, for that, which in Law is held but as a lease of seuen yeeres: haue an euerla­sting freehold, in His heauenly Kingdom, there to reape the reward of our Seruice, world without end.