THis is such a piece of Gods truth, as being spoken by Christ himselfe, ought much to be regarded, the occasion thereof very easily gathered out of the Context; and as to that, or to the Text, with reference to the Context, I shall have no­thing to say, I shall looke on the Text with re­ference to our times rather, and labour to hold forth therehence unto this Honorable and grave Assembly such truth as is Land, Church, and Common-wealth concerning: Calvin's note is excellent and too true, Right Honourable and wel-beloved, Est kic Divini verbi quasi qui­dam genius, ut nunquam emer­gat quieto et dormiente Sa­tana; Cal. Praes. ad Reg. Gall. that though while men slept, the envious man tooke his time to sow tares, yet men never can take a time to wake and watch to preach truth while Satan is asleep. Origen once being to preach on that place of the Psalmist, Vnto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth, &c. seeing thou hatest to be reformed; wept over the Text in stead of Preaching upon it. It is Pareus his observation upon that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1.10. Now I be­seech [Page 4]you brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that yee all speake the same thing, and that there bee no divisions among you; but that yee bee perfectly joyned together in the same minde, and in the same judgement. Pareus, I say, marks, that the Apostle being to cure division [...]; Huic morbo ex­ulceratissimo primum malag­mata quaedam adhibet. Par. ad loc. to this disease, saith hee, Paul first applyes Play­sters and Poultesses to ripen it, and draw it to maturation, before hee cut or make incision: our disunions, disjoyntings, disaffe­ctions and dissensions are very great, very unreasonable, very un­seasonable, tongue-disagreement, and pen-disagreement; I yet hope God will keep us from discord, for that sounds harsh, and is not till hearts bee broken asunder, from which God deliver us. I would not have that said of Christians, which had wont to bee said of Chronologers, Chronologi non magis congruunt quam Horologia; Victorin. Stri­gel. Proleg. in Chron. Me­lancth. the Chronologers agree like clocks, scarce two of one minde throughout. It would bee our advance­ment in the eyes of God and good men to advance unity and one-mindednesse, lest it bee said of us, and truly too, that De­mades the Oratour said of the Athenians in Plutarch, that they never sate upon Treaties of Peace, but in black and mourning garments, when they had paid before too deare for their divisi­ons: Vis unita fortior, hath hitherto gone for a good Proverbe, and indeed if wee have a fancy of crossing such Proverbes, it may prove to our ruine. God, because he is Ens simplicissimum, a most simple and undivided being, is therefore Ens fortissimum & inexpugnabile, a most strong and impregnable being; and sure­ly, if wee hold together amongst our selves, it will bee more hard to harme us: what is the destruction of a man, but the division of the body and the soule? as long as they two hold together, the man is not destroyed; so is it also, and will bee found to bee amongst us. Besides that glorious light shining forth of Gods Word, whereunto they doe well that take heed as to a light shining in a darke place, such as that, Rom. 16.17. I beseech you brethren marke them which cause division ( [...]:) and that 1 Cor. 3.3. For yee are yet carnall; for whereas there are among you envyings, and strife, and divisions; are yee not carnall, and walk as men? Besides these, & such as these Scriptures, the very light of nature, and men guided by no better Principles, will rise up in judgement against men that call themselves Christians, and yet love divisions. Aristotle in his fift Booke of a Common-wealth, [Page 5]and sixt Chapter, layes down this as an infallible rule, Imbellum est quod discordat, that which disagrees with it selfe, [...], Arist. de Rep. l 5. c. 6. and is disconcor­dant, must needs be weake.

But I come to the Text, wherein I observe:

First, the subject here spoken of, and that is, a Kingdome, a City, an house; a threefold subject is here spoken of.

Secondly, the adjunct which serves to expresse our Lords meaning, and the Doctrines concernment, which is (every) Kingdome, City, House, it is true in all that our Lord saith of any.

Thirdly, the predicate, or that which is spoken of every of these subjects; which is both,

• 1. Affirmative, shall be brought to desolation.
• 2. Negative also, shall not stand.

Fourthly, the condition annexed, if divided against it self; Every King some divided against it selfe shall bee desolate, and every City or House divided against it selfe shall not stand. Then I come to the first part of the exposition.

First, for the concernment of this Doctrine, 1 The con­cernment. it belongeth it seemes unto our Kingdome in generall, unto our City in par­ticular, yea, and unto our very houses, our habitations where wee live; a Doctrine doubtlesse well-besitting the eares of such an Honourable, such a Worshipfull Auditory. Quintilian. Modus orationis Auditor est, was wont to bee the old rule, speake to thy hea­rers profit, or say nothing. If men are not pro ara diminica, yet their hara domestica I know will move them, the Kingdom, your City, your Houses, all is here concerned. Lutherus me al­loquitur quasi me intra erat. It had wont to bee said of Luther, that hee spake to his hearers as if he had been within them: I shall not study ourious words, a consciencious discovery, yea, a cordiall reproofe is farre better; and I am of Chrysostomes minde, [...], new wayes are no wayes. When Aristippus was asked, what it would profit ones sonne if his Father should give him Learning; why (saith hee) if for nothing else, yet herein it will advantage him, that when hee comes to the Theater, hee shall sit not like one stone upon another. If this Doctrine will serve for nothing else, yet this it will serve for to warne you yee Senators of London, that yee be not such of whom mine Author sayes, they had rather perish [Page 6]in a common calamity, Pateroulus. ut Publica ruina quisque malit, quam sua pro­teri, et idem passurus minime conspici. 2 The Ob­jection. then in a private misery, that their de­struction may be hidden in the publique ruine.

Secondly, If any lazie objection shall bee awakened here from negligent ones, and those which are secure, of which sort we have our thousands, and ten thousands in this City: If any such shall say unto me, what is this to mee? I doe not trouble mine head with your divisions, preach mee Jesus Christ, I take no care for any thing else. I Answer.

The men of Laish that lived securely are risen againe in our times: Rev. 18.7, 8. It was Babylons voyce, Rev. 18.7, 8. I sit as a queene, and am no widow, I shall see no mourning; and shee speakes this so loud and so long, till at length in the next verse God sayes to her, As is the Preacher, so is the peace al­wayes. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death and sorrow, &c. Therefore, wherefore? as is the peace, so alwayes is the Preacher thereof, when they say peace, 1 Thes. 5.3. When who sayes so? wicked men, when they Preach a wick­ed peace, the just God even then holds himselfe ingaged to bee against both the Peace, and Preacher, And your Covenant with death shall bee disanulled and your agreement with Hell shall not stand, when a scourge shall run over and passe through the Land, then shall yee bee trod downe thereby, Esa. 28.18.

That word of Paul comes like thunder from Heaven, and it is such language, as I desire to speake to such men: Boun­tifulnesse towards thee if thou continue in Gods bountiful­nesse, or else even thou also shall be cut off, Rom. 11.22.

I would have the Citizens of London doe, as the Citizens of Nineveh did at such a message, Jonah 3.6. When the King, and Nobles, [...], &c. and others, saw the word of God, (not heard it onely, for so the Originall expresseth it, Luke 2 [...]15) see the gradation, or rather the descension, yea, condescension, 1. The word came (like lightning.) 2. To the King, not to the inferior onely. 3. Hee arose, as if hee felt his seat shake un­der him. 4. Cast off his Robe, as if it had beene a burthen. 5. Covered himselfe with Sackcloth, as a corps made ready for the burial 6. And sate down, not among violets, flowers, &c. but in the ashes: the word of God if it have power to worke repen­tance, that repentance will have power to worke pardon at last.

But thirdly, 3 The Obligat. What obligation find you in the Text to tye us to all this?

[Page 7] 1. The lesser obligation, the Kingdome, City, 1 Lesser. or house so divided, shall not stand: when Israel could not stand before her enemies, Josh. 7.8. that Governour presently breakes out into this expression, O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turne their backs before their enemies? The Kingdome, City, or house divi­ded shall not stand, they shall bee as Ireland; let our Governours then doe as hee did.

2. But then the greater, they shall bee desolate, bee as Germany, 2 Greater. where there hath been neither earing nor seed-time this Twen­ty yeares and upwards, for body nor for soule. When Christ foretells the ruine of Jerusalem, it is in such termes as these, Verily, I say unto you, there shall not bee here left a stone upon a stone which shall not bee cast downe, Mat. 24.2. such, such a de­solation it will be, that followes division hard at heeles.

Fourthly, then marke that ( if) in my Text, 4 The Condi­tion. If it bee divided, if it, if another thing, if any thing, if thou bee divided against thy selfe, thou shalt not stand, thou shalt bee brought to desolation, For a double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes, I am. 1.8. Now this I would have inlarged and under­stood.

1. Implicitly, if a Kingdome, City, 1 Implicitly. or house bee divided a­gainst others, there may bee misery enough, the sword will soone pierce unto the heart, Jerem. 4.10. Then the horseman lifteth the bright sword, and the glittering speare, a multitude is slaine; yea, the dead bodies are many, and they stumble at their corpses, Nahum 3.3. England can now tell, and Ireland too sad stories, and then wee were divided against others onely, against men, which though they were amongst us, were not of us. But

2. Explicitely, if divided against it selfe: 2. Explicitly. Divines use to say there is one word in a Text which is alwayes to bee marked: This same word ( selfe) The Kingdome divided against it selfe, the City and the house against it self, occasions us to inquire fur­ther for a further exposition, and to make search into the second part of this exposition.

1. What is the Self of a Kingdome, City, house, Common­wealth, or person? To which I answer:

First, generally, thus, by Deut. 4. [...], 6. Behold I have taught [Page 8]you Ordinances and Lawes, Selfe, what [...] 1 Generally. as the Lord my God commanded mee, that yee should doe even so, within the Land whither yee goe to possesse it: Keepe them therefore, and doe them, for that is your wisdome and your understanding, &c. Or by that of Solomon, Eccles. 12.13. Feare God, and keepe his Commandenients. For hoc est totum hominis, this is the selfe, the soule, the all of man: and what Kingdom, City, or house soever is divided against this, is divided against it self, and will bee desolate.

Secondly, 2 Particularly. 1 Kingdom self. but particularly: 1. The Selfe of a Kingdome, is the Religion of that Kingdome, from which whosoever is divi­ded, he is separate from God, and God from him; and God will make him to know (at one time or other) that there is a God whom hee hath not served. At the beginning of their dwelling there, they served not God; therefore the Lord sent Lyons amongst them, which slew them, saith the History, 2 Kings 17.25. If my people, which is called by my name, hum­ble themselves, and pray, and seeke my face, and turne from their wicked wayes, then I will forgive their sinnes, and will heale their Land. Religion you see is the onely misery-diverting, and mercy-procuring thing in a Land or Nation.

Secondly, 2 Common-wealth self. the Selfe of a Common-wealth, is the Law thereof, the Law is the common Surety betweene the Go­vernours, and the governed, surety from the King to mee, that I shall enjoy my protection, and surety for mee to him, that I shall pay my tribute, No [...]heire of restraint. and doe mine homage. Over and over againe in that History it is recorded, In those dayes there was no [King] in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his owne eyes, Judg. 20.25. Now a Kingdome or Common-wealth divided against this Selfe also, will bee desolate.

Thirdly, 3 Church self. the selfe of the Church is Doctrine and Discipline, which like the body and soule must not bee divided; Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, how hee was crucified according to my Gospel, 2 Tim. 2.8. This is that foundation other than which no man can lay, 1 Cor. 3.11. the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles whereon wee must be built, whilst Iesus Christ himselfe is laid for the cheif corner Stone. This Iesus Christ who made a whip of cords, and drave out the buyers and sellers out of the [Page 9]Temple, which was a peece of Discipline, while hee was preach­ing heavenly doctrine to them, gave also the keyes unto Peter, Mat. 16. and Paul puts the power of them in execution. 1 Cor. 5.45. and writeth to the Colossians thus, Though I bee absent in the body, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order, and your stedfast faith in Christ, Col. 2.5.

4. The self of a family is the Peace of that family, Peace I say, 4 Family self. the Religious peace, while the family is reconciled to God, for then they know that peace is upon their Tabernacle, that is, they are assured thereof, then they visite their Habitation and doe not sinne, Iob. 5.24. and the mutuall peace betweene the severall members thereof maintained by commanding and obey­ing, the man dwels with his wife and family like a man of know­ledge, 1 Pet. 3.7. the wife also knowes that she is not permitted to teach, nor to usurpe authority over the man, but to bee in si­lence, 1 Tim. 2.12. this is a selfe against which it will be found ve­ry dangerous to be divided.

5. There is a selfe of a mans selfe, 5 Self of selse. and that is good consci­ence; good I say, tender, and wel-informed conscience, not accu­sing when it should excuse; nor on the contrary excusing, when grosse faults are committed: Conscience perswaded of the no­bility and necessity too of Religion: Quas non oper­tet mortes praec­ligere, quod non suppliciwn po­tius ferre? imo in quam profun­dam inferni a­byssum introire, quam contra conserentiam attestari? Zuing. Epist. 3. such a Conscience as the godly Minister writes of, saying, O what deaths would not a man first choose? what punishment would not a man (a godly man) undergoe, even the very bottome of hell it self, before he would doe any thing against conscience?

I proceed to the further exposition, the third Part thereof.

Shall they be brought to desolation indeed if divided? is our Lord in good earnest? and shall this come to passe?

I answer, the meaning is, 1. So it happens to be probably and very often.

2. Yea, and more than so, so it will be certainly, 3 Part of Ex­position. and without all doubt, unlesse such divisions as have been, or are in Kingdom, City, or house be confessed, repented of and forsaken; For so are the two standing rules which God gives, one is Jerem. 18.7, 8. 2 Rules. At what instant I shall speake concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down, and to destroy it, If that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evill, I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them. The other is Prov. 28.13. Hee [Page 10]that hideth his sinne shall not prosper, but hee that confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy. If our divisions continue in Kingdome, City, House, they be of sad presage, what ever men thinke.

Here now with reference to the Text and Context, let mee conclude something doctrinally by way of observation.

First, Observations. A Kingdome divided amongst themselves, against them­selves, is worse in that regard than the Devils Kingdome, Satans Kingdome is not so.

Secondly, The Favorers and Fomenters of such discord are, shall I say Devils? or worse? the Fiends seeke the peace of their owne kingdome.

Thirdly, The Devils doe agree, that they may doe evill, but wee cannot agree that wee may doe good, and receive good too, namely that we may settle peace & truth in our borders, and when wee have done, sit downe and eat the fruit thereof. Suidas writes that there was a family at Corinth, Ventisopii [...]. that could lay the winds, and that that family was in very great esteeme among all, but espe­cially the sea men, & had therefore a name given them, Ventisopii: That storme of sad division hanging over our heads, His hand surely must be in the calming thereof, of whom it was said, that both the winde and waters did obey him, Mat. 8.27.

But I proceed, 4 Part of Ex­position, what? and aske againe in the fourth part of the ex­position.

Whether the divisions of a Kingdome, City or house bee all alike, or all alike dangerous, and presaging ruine? No surely.

First, [...] Division a­gainst self. of Kingdom division, you may read the History of Reho­boam, 1 King. 12. and of the rending away of 10. Tribes of 12 from him? Here now is the ruine, but was this Kingdome divi­ded against it selfe? O yes, for it was divided against counsell, and Counsell is the very selfe of a King and Kingdome too, v. 14. it is said, that the King spake unto them after the counsell of the young Men saying, My Father made your yoke heavy, and I will adde to your yoke: My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Secondly, [...] Division. For a City division, you may read that History, Acts 14.4. But the multitude of the City was divided, and part held with the Jews, and part with the Apostles. Here now is a City division, you see part siding against part, and tending (as all divisions doe) to tumult and trouble, for v. 5. There was an assault made both of the [Page 11]Gentiles and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despightfully, and to stone them, they were ware of it, and faine to fly to Lystra and to Derbe; But were these also divided against themselves? yes sure­ly, they were divided against Religion Preached, and wisedome to judge thereof. To discerne things that differ, is that which Pauls prayer is for, Phil. 1.10. Sapientia cer­uitur in Com­paratis. and this wisedome is best discern­ed, when things are in competition, and the question is, what to choose, and what to refuse.

Thirdly, Of House difference you may also read 2 Sam. 6.16. [...] Division. 20, 21. David a good husband, doing devoutly, and with much zeal before the Arke of the God of Israel, Michael his wife is of a­nother opinion, and shee lookes on and despiseth him in her heart, v. 16, shee saith, How glorious was the King to day, who un­covered himselfe to day in the eyes of the Handmaids of his servants? v. 20. as one of the vaine fellows openly uncovereth himselfe. Here you see is a House badly divided, and against it selfe too: namely Con­sent and Submission of the wife to the Husbands judgement, in the undertaking of things in Gods service; severall divisions are doubtlesse severally ominous, and to be taken heed of, they bode ill.

But yet fifthly in my exposition, they, the people, 5 Part of Ex­position. I meane the Jews, might take Jesus Christ for an exorcist, or Conjurer, and if so, Satan should then bee against himselfe; wee see among the Papists sometimes what a worke they have in their disposses­sings, and yet Satan doth but cast out Satan, if the worke bee done: wee read also Act. 19.13. that certain of the vagabond Jewes exorcists tooke upon them to call over them which had evill spirits, the Name of the Lord Jesus, saying, Wee adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. To omit much that might be said to this particular, I say onely this:

1. Our Lord argues against his blasphemers, 1. Arg. Ab absurdo. here ab absurdo from the absurdity, thus a Kingdome, City, or House to be divi­ded against it selfe is absurd. If Satans should so be, it would be de­structive thereto.

2. Our Saviour argues from example, 2. Arg. Ab exemplo. I cast out Devils by the same power that your sonnes, (which can so doe) cast them out, but aske them and they'l tell you, that they cast them out by the finger of God, therefore by that power I cast them out. 3. Arg. Ab officio.

3. Another Argument our Saviour drawes from his office, [Page 12]as if hee should say, you would hardly stumble at my ca­sting out Devills, did you but know this, that Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the Devill, 1 Joh. 3.8.

Sixthly, 6 Part of Ex­position. a cleare difference is here held forth, and ought to bee marked, betweene some differences and others: for the Text doth not say, that all differences in a Kingdome, Ci­ty, or House are destructive and tending to desolation, but such as are against the self. The Scripture gives us to understand that there are

Divisions. 1 1. Preventionall divisions, such as did arise out of care of the glory of God, and caution lest Idolatry should bee committed, or such sinne as might kindle the fire of Gods indignation, and make it burne in, yea, burne up the Con­gregation: Of such a division wee read, Josh. 22.16. Thus saith the whole Congregation of the Lord, VVhat trespasse is this that yee have committed against the God of Israel, to turne away this day from following the Lord, in that you have builded you an Altar that yee might rebell this day against the Lord? To be divided from them that seeme to divide from the Lord, is a good division.

Divisions. 2 2. There are preceptive divisions too, divisions by com­mandement from the Lord; such also wee reade of, Exod. 32.26, 27. Then Moses stood in the gate of the Campe, and said, Who is on the Lords side, let him come unto me: And all the sonnes of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And hee said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put eve­ry man his sword by his side, and go [...] in and out from gate to gate, throughout the Campe, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, Poenaemirabilis. Caie [...]. and every man his neighbour. Here is a di­vision you see, though bloody, yet blessed, a piece of Justice acceptably done upon the ring-leaders into Idolatry, one of Gods wonderfull punishments, as just as secret.

Divisions. 3 3. There are providentiall divisions, such as though they seeme never so strange unto the sonnes of men, yet are guided by the counsell and providence of the most High, without whom Kingdomes are not rent and divided; so we read, 1 King. 12.15. The King hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord, that he might performe his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite, unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat: and what word that was, you may see, 1 Sam. 11.11. Ferasmuch as this is done of thee, [Page 13]and thou hast not kept my Covenant and my Statutes which I have com­manded thee, I will surely rend the Kingdome from thee, and give it to thy servant.

Divisions. 4 4. Wee read of conversionall and convictionall divisions, when the God of power makes his Word the power of God, quick and powerfull, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and in­tents of the heart, Heb. 4.12.

Divisions. 5 5. The Ministers duty, is it not rightly to divide the word of truth? 2 Tim. 2.15. Hee must divide the precious from the vile, Lev. 10.10. By all this then is plainly to bee seen, that there are divisions which are good, and to be observed.

Seventhly, then we are to understand, 7 Part of the Exposition. that this is a proverbiall speech that our Lord useth here, and how such parables and pro­verbes are in holy Scripture used is worthy observation, they conclude probably, and convince notably, and to such purposes are for the most part used, 1 Sam. 24.12, 13. The Lord judge be­tweene mee and thee, and the Lord avenge mee of thee, but mine hand shall not bee upon thee: As saith the Proverbe of the Ancients, Proverbes. Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked, but mine hand shall not bee upon thee: see also 2 Sam. 20.18. they were wont to speake in old time, saying, They shall surely aske counsell at Abel, and so they ended the matter, or surely they will aske of Abel, and so make an end; it is a reference unto Deut. 20.10. When thou c [...]m­mes [...] unto a City to fight against it, then thou shalt proclaime peace unto it: and so the summe of the Womans speech is this, I and my Citizens thought, surely this Generall Joab will make his de­mands known before he come with fire and sword, but thou fol­lowest no such order; Joabs answer you see in v. 20. and there­by you may see how concluding and convincing the womans lan­guage is, so is our Lords here.

Eightly, this Text must also bee looked upon in the harmony, 8 Part of the Exposition.] three Evangelists have it, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, out of all which the termes must be very carefully expounded in their seve­rall orders: As

1. Shall be desolate. I would aske here what is desolation? 1 Desolation, what? and make answer to this question by that place, Gen. 47.19. Wherefore shall wee die before thine eyes? &c. give us seed that wee may [Page 14]live and not die, that the land bee not desolate, that is, that the land be not untilled; an unhusbanded land is a desolate land, and di­visions in a Kingdome, City, or house will make them to bee un­husbanded both in heavenly and earthly sense. 2 Not standing 2. Shall not stand. Standing in Scripture is taken diversly, as to stand in grace, that is, to be certaine and sure of grace, Rom. 5.2. By whom wee have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God: This way divisions in a Kingdome, City, or House, make it and them they cannot stand, it is loving of one another, and watchfulnesse over one another, that is to edificati­on [...] dividing against one another tends to destruction.

Standing, Standing in the acceptions in Scripture, meanes also standing still, that is to say, to be quiet and rest on God, 2 Chron. 20.17. Yee shall not need to fight in this battaile, set your selves, stand yee still, and see the salva­tion of the Lord with you. O Judah and Jerusalem; This way also divisions in a Kingdome, City, or House weaken much, for when men divide and side it one against another, they are turbulent, not waiting on God with meeknesse of spirit.

Standing againe in holy Scripture, noteth standing fast, con­trary to going away or falling from somewhat, or being carryed away; so Gal. 5.1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and bee not intangled againe with the yoake of bondage. Thus divisions in a Kingdome, City, or House are dangerous also; for in these tongue and pen-divisions, most of our people are ei­ther lost and become Atheists, looking after no Religion at all, on else are become children tossed to and fro, and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftinesse, whereby they lye in wait to deceive; so saith the Apo­stle, Ephes. 4.14.

3. House falleth upon house, House falling upon house. Luke 11.17. an excellent expres­sion, I expound it by that of Jotham, Judg. 9.20. Let fire come out from Abimelech and devoure the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; And let fire come forth from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devoure Abimelech. Divisions make fire breake out of one house, and burn another, contention is a flame, dissen­sion is a kindled fire. Not without cause is it that the Holy Ghost, reckoning up the fruits of the flesh, places them thus in the cata­logue, seditions, heresies, envyings, murthers, to teach us what division will come to, if God doe not restrain it, Gal. 5.20, 2 [...].

[Page 15] 4. If Satan cast out Satan, that is, Castings out of if they bee against one ano­nother, which should be together, 1 The House. there will bee nothing but ca­sting out. And there is a threefold casting out. 1. Casting out of the house, so Abram cast Hagar and her son; and 2 ep. Joh. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. When divisions arise, even they that were intimate before, then cast one another off, and out too, and hardly bid God speed, give a salute each to other.

2. Casting out of the heart; 2 The Heart and there­fore to be observed, Jer. 15.1. Though Moses and Samuel stood be­fore mee, yet my minde could not bee toward this people, cast them out of my sight, and let them goe forth: When divisions come, men, and good men too are cast out of one anothers hearts, the minde of one is not toward another.

3. A third casting out yet there is mentioned by St. 3 The Society. Paul to Titus 3.10. A man that is an Heretique, after the first and second ad­monition reject; that same reject, is as bad as an eject. For it imports.

1. To cast him out of all familiarity in things temporall.

2. And out of all society in things spiritual also. And such ca­stings out are the effects of divisions too, wee are divided about judging of Errors and Heretiques; and divided againe about the casting out and taking into communion.

I shall therefore now come to Use and direction, that all this may be made yours, Jesus Christ blessing his owne Ordinance.

Ʋse. 1 The first Use that I have to give in, it is an Use of Caution, of caution to take heed, such a take heed befits this Auditory, Caution. as is written, 2 Chron. 19.6, 7. Take heed what yee doe, for yee judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgement. Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee upon you, and take heed, and doe it. But I have another take heed, Selfe, Englands abomination. and such a one as I am con­fident will be welcome, and that is, take heed to your selves; yea, I beseech you take heed that you doe not welcome this take heed under a wrong notion. I know there is an Idol called Selfe, set up in every corner almost, and men fall downe and worship it, great men, learned men, all sorts. I am an enemy to this Dagon, and doe heartily wish that some Hezekiah may bee stirred up, or at least much of that spirit to make it (a Nehushtan once) a piece of brasse whensoever abused to idolatry.

Three kinds of selfe-denyall I conceive ought to bee found in [Page 16]every Christian: Abnegatio 1 Mediorum. 2 Morum. 3 Mentium. abnegatio, 1. Mediorum, the means allowed by others; a right Christian will not use the meanes, lawfull enough, thereby to bring unlawfull purposes to passe.

2. Morum, self-denyall in the manners allowed by others; what other men think may be spoken, done, &c. he dare not, that is a right Christian, meddle in.

3. Mentium, self-denyall in the mind, the very mind which the men of the world have, the same minde is in them, which was also in Christ Iesus, Phil. 2.5. Who made himself of no reputation, but tooke upon him the forme of a servant.

Such a sweet temper of heart, such an aptnesse and readinesse to deny and forsake what's most deare unto us for Iesus Christ, and for his Gospels sake; this is it, 1. Whose voice speakes thus to God and the world, I am ready to be bound and dye, Act. 21.13. I account all Things drosse and dung, Phil. 3.8. 2. The parts of self-denyall are affection and action, readinesse in habit, and readinesse in act. Selves to bee heeded. 3. The condition of things stand in com­petition with God. 4. The caution thereof, which is, that neither affection be destroyed, nor obedience, &c. but reduced into order, namely, that God bee first, and all things after him.

But for the particulars:

First, 1 Self mysticall I would intreat your to looke unto your selfe mysticall; that is, I pray you looke to your Religion, [...], God is the best of beings, and Religion the best of wel-beings. He that hath little zeale, and lesse cou­rage for godlinesse, may (in appearance) look after many Reli­gions, but he will hardly love any. Nor doe I presse Religion onely here, no nor it reformed, though I daily pray that the worke of Reformation may finde as many helpes in the end, as it hath found hinderances in the beginning and mid-way. But I pray you take heed of your Religion under Esay's notion, Religion what in good earnest One shall say, I am the Lords; and another shall call himselfe by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himselfe by the name of Israel, Esa. 44.5. your subscribed Religion with your hands lifted up to the most High: I presse Religion under Pauls notion, Acts 10.35. To feare God, and worke righteousnesse; and under the description of St. James, Jam. 1.27. To visit the fatherlesse and widow in their affliction, piety and charity going hand in hand.

[Page 17] 1. 1 In praxei. In practise is sacras Scriptures rectè legit qui vertit verba in opera, Expositors of Scripture in their bookes we have good store, and welcome light, but the Lord increase the number of them which expound Scripture, not in leaves onely, but in lives also, turne words into workes.

2. In tryall, bring Religion to the touch-stone; 2 In probation betweene Heaven and Hell, there's this difference in Heaven, there's Light without Heat, but in Hell there's Heat without Light, take heed of such religion.

3. In influence, as the Heavens worke upon our bodies, 3 In influentia [...] so in­deed should Religion on our soules: with,

• 1. Light.
  Lucis.
• 2. Heat.
  Caloris.
• 3. Motion.
  Motus.

That is worthy of notice which one said wittily: Reprehen­sio i [...]ipit à modestia cum minoritis, Reformatione vero à Majestate cum majoritis, Modesty shewes it selfe well in the reprehension of the Minorites, but Majesty shewes it selfe better in the reformation of the Majorites. I adde some Counsells:

1. He that will give God his due in Religion, Counsells. must be excee­ding carefull to make him, 1. The object, and 2. The appoin­ter of our Worship; it is said, Revel. 9.20. That they worshipped Divels, not because they served them, but because they followed their suggestions in the devised way of serving God.

2. An afflicted estate had need of Religion to sustaine it, a prosperous state to perfect it in the end, and to moderate in the way, because therefore Religion is to God alone, and the ma­nifestation of it unto man; let men be 1. well grounded in it. 2. well resolved of it, and 3. very zealous for it, what times soever they are wherein we live.

3. Things are not therefore comely and orderly because they are done of custome, or commanded by authority, but are there­fore both used and commanded (lawfully) because they are comely and orderly; yet if either Custome commend, or Au­thority command things that are such indeed, wise, godly, and peaceable men should hold themselves (even therefore) the more bound unto them.

4. Church-religion, and Chamber-religion towards God he regards not, if it be not accompanied in the house and streetes [Page 18]with loving kindnesse and mercy, and all goodnesse towards men.

5. Some weare Religion for ornament onely, that's naught, and of them that have it for use, some are led by custome, some by admiration of some persons, passion guides some, appearance others: without due examination men had best, 1. not leave Re­ligion lightly, 2. Not further in any particular then we needs must. 3. Not at all, in the things which God hath blessed to our spirituall good.

6. Disputations in Religion are sometimes needfull, but al­waies dangerous; because (usually) they draw the best spirits away from the heart and life, into the head and tongue: take heed of venturing nothing but words in your voyage to Heaven­ward.

7. To love differences with any about Religion is a hatefull thing, wantonnesse, affectation of singularity, contempt, osten­tation of wit, envie at superiours, gratifying men with things not meet to be done; are usuall companions of such a man.

8. Religion hath to doe with these sorts of men most com­monly.

1. The feeble, such as Nicodemus, with whom yet how our Saviour dealt is to be seene, Joh. 3.3.

2. The inconstant, such as would know every thing, but are unsteady and wavering, Eph. 4.14.

3. The examining questionists, they must be awed with commands of practise, Luk. 18.22, 23.

4. The Talkeative.

5. The Reviling.

6. The Presumptuous.

It was once objected unto Erasmus, Est mihi meus admodum ca­tholica, sed sto­macuri habeo plène Luthera­num. 2 Selfe-poli­ticall. eating flesh upon a Fish­day, that that was not like a Catholike; to which he answered presently, My minde is very popish and Catholike, but my Sto­macke is Lutheran cleerely, I love no Fish; we have such Reli­gious men too many.

Secondly, great care must be taken concerning your selfe Po­liticall, that is to say, your fundamentall Lawes and constituti­ons. It is not to no purpose the Mulcts and punishments, Goales, Gallowes, and such things are ordained; for hereby evill men are restrained, and the good live quietly among those [Page 19]that aue not so; if the Warre make Theeves, then Peace must helpe to hang them, Lex à ligando diciter, the Law must binde men, vel legendo, because men must read them; Read them, where? even in their execution, there they are best read. When God wrote Lawes, his order was to write a Ceremoniall Law for sinnes expiation, and a judiciall Law for sinnes punishment. Sen. ep. 67. True it is, that Politus & liberalis homo sibi lex esset; a good man, every such a man should be a Law unto himselfe, and I know that of Seneca well, Inestimabile bonum est suum esse, it is a royall thing to be really a man's owne; yet I say, let the Law be re­garded and reverenced, Homo dirigibilis in deum, & bonum cōmune est subjectum legis canonicae, saith the Lawyer; now say I, But how shall this man be directed without a rule, and that rule is the Law Divine, in things of the soule, therefore David, Psalme 119.126. It is time for thee Lord to lay to thine hand, for they have made void thy Law: and the Law humane in things of the body; excellent is that of Austin on the 76. Psal. 10. The residue of wrath shalt thou restraine. Austin saith, In ipsis in probis dum, formidato supplicio, frenater facultas, invocato Deo savator voluntas; this is the excellency of the thing, that while the outward man is restrai­ned by the feares of man, the inward man is also healed by prayer to God. Here then I would have marked first Law-giving, I would have marked with this distinction:

1. To the disobedient for a rod the Law is given, Lex dator. 1 Duris infla [...] gellum. to which purpose that of 1 Tim. 1.9. The Law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sinners, for unholy and prophane, &c. If thou doe that which is evill be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vaine, for he is the Minister of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doth evill. Rom. 13.4.

2. To the proficient for a rule, Psal. 119.105. 2 Proficienti­bus in paedago­giam. Thy Word is a lampe unto my feet, and a light unto my path. He that in Divinity thinkes to make the Gospell a refuge, must make the Law a rule; and he that in humanity thinkes to be safe in protection, must live also under the Lawes direction.

3. To the perfect for a reward, The Commandment is not grie­vous to us, 1 Jo. 5.3. Such men say with David, Oh how I love thy Law, 3 Perfectiori­bus in selatium. Psal. 119.97. that is, O Lord, judge thou how I love it by this, it is my meditation day and night: Qui diligit legem, ex volun­tate facit, quae sibi sunt imperata. Infirmity is sometimes the [Page 20]Mother of Vertue, impunity alwaies the Nurse of vices.

2. That it be considered whether there ought not to be some additionall Lawes, we have many for errours in practise, but none at all for errours in Doctrine; nay, wise men say, That it is more safe a great deale to be erronious, seditious, or schisma­ticall then to reprove such; and indeed there is a fearefull kinde of modesty now amongst men, they blush to helpe to beare out godlinesse, and to stand for truth; but ile intreat them to consi­der, that Inutilis & mortuus equiperantur in lege, an unprofitable man and a dead man the Law holds both alike, truely this world is nothing else; nay, give me leave to say, our Kingdom, our City, Non ad ratio­nem sed ad simi­litudinem vi­vimus, inde ista tanta coacerva­tie, aliorum su­per alios ruen­tium, Sen. De­vit. beata. our very Houses are nothing else but Islands of dreames, Non ad rationem, sed ad similitudinem vivimus, saith he well, Reason is not the rule of our lives, but example and con­formity of our selves to others, which is the cause of so many falling one upon another, and dividing one from another. When Luther began the great worke of Reformation, Albertus Crancius a Bishop, (a man friend enough to Luther, but hope­less [...] of a successe in that businesse) said these words unto him: Frater, Frater, abi in cellam tuam, & ibi dic miserere mei Deus: Bro­ther, Brother, goe into thy Cell, and doe no more but sigh, and say, Lord have mercy on me: I pray God we have not yet cause to say so one to another, Ministers are divided, and Magistrates, and I heare wise men say, That the better part of our Magistrates now either are neutrall, or inclining to the worser part; but courage, Michol. irasiter sed Deus dele­ctater &c. à Greg. ad loc. Right Honourable, and you yee Senators too, I say to you as heretofore the Father said on that place, 2 Sam. 6.21, 22. Here's good sport indeed; Michol is very angry for that, for which God is well pleased; if any be so among us, let them so be, it's good sport to see men angry for that which pleaseth God. To conclude this point therefore, I finde an Edict of Justinian which goes thus, Monicheo in loc. Rom. ap­prehenso &c. Cod. lib. 1. tit. 5. If a Manichee be taken in any place of Rome let his head be chopt off; a harsh censure you'le say, but marke the reason, Because saith he, whatsoever is done against Religion, is done to the injury of all men. I know it will be ob­jected, I, this is that which you would have to persecute the Saints. I give answer, Three Emperours together made a Law, That it should not be lawfull for any of the Clergy to receive Tithes, Rents, &c. Saint- Jerome writing to Nepotian, saith thus [Page 21]of it, It grieves not me, saith he, that the Emperours made such a Law, but that the Priests by their covetousnesse deserv'd it; I am loth a Law, such a Law should be made, but more loth good men should deserve it as they doe.

3. Heed must also be taken unto our selfe-Ecclesiasticall, that is, 3 Selfe-Eccle­siasticall. Doctrine and Discipline, and those two they are like the Corne and the Hedge, both needfull; some Doctrine is that which the Apostle calls for, and fore-tells that The time will come (we may say, The times are come) when they will not endure it, but after their owne lusts shall they heape to themselves teachers, having itching eares, 2 Tim. 4.3. and for Discipline, our Lord hath left Keyes in some-bodies power, at some-bodies Girdle, that Scripture holds cleerely forth such a thing, Matth. 18.16, 17. Now those within are to be judged, 1 Cor. 5.12. Potestas. 1. Concionalis. 2 Judicialis. Et jus excommunicandi non est penes quemvis privatum, sed hoc jus pertinet ad totam ecclesiam? is the rule among Divines, there is a power of Excommunicating, and it belongs to the whole Church. Againe, there is potostas clavium, which is, conscionalis, belonging to Preachers onely, and judicia­lis, belonging to the Presbitery; when Moses gave the charge to the Levites to kill every man his Brother, and every man his Neighbour; And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. The Father saith well on that, Exod. 32, 28. Moses saith he, Causum Dei apud populum gladiis, causam populi apud Deum precibus. Greg. ad loc. a gallant man, &c. He pleads Gods cause to the people-ward with the sword, and the peoples cause to God-ward with his prayers. For Discipline in the Church of God, and its execution orderly I marke these foure things:

1. According to the former distinction, let the Minister by preaching shut the Kingdome of Heaven against impenitent sin­ners, and open it wide unto all them who humble themselves; let also the Governours exercise the judiciall part.

2. Without the consent of some Church let no man be Ex­communicated, yea I adde, If it be a small Church, and not consisting of many learned and skilfull men, Excommunication ought not to be done, except the neighbour Churches be asked counsell of, Zanch. in 4. praec. 756.

3. He that is to be cast out Communi Presbyterorum consensu, Zanc. vide in 4. praec. 756. thus by a common consent of the Presbytrie, is to be cast out in the name of the whole Church, and by the authority of God.

[Page 22] 4. The manifest consent of the whole Church is required, Frustra enim ejicitur ex Ecclesiae, & consortio fidelium privater quem populus abigere, & à quo abstinere recuset; that is, In vaine is he cast out of the Church, whom the Church casteth not out, though in such cases where the consent of the Church cannot be had: To the execution of this Discipline, every Pastour and Professor ought to take heed, that he have no fellowship with the workes of darknesse, but rather reprove them, yea, they ought to excommunicate them negatively, who should be, but are not, excommunicate positively, Virga dominationis, & virga dis­cretionis, Ruper. l. 8. in Mat. 10.

I have some Counsells here.

That the things in our way of the Church, Counsells. yet in doubt and uncleered, be all of them throughly discussed; as namely, whe­ther the Fathers, being visible professors, have right to the se­cond, as well as their children (under the notion of the chil­dren of such) have right to the first Sacrament? And why any man should be suspended from any one, not being before ex­communicated from all Ordinances? what infection is caught, and why more by men in the company of the wicked at the Sa­crament, than at the Word, prayer, or the like, and other such?

2. That our notions and distinctions used in preaching, be not made use of to vaile but reveale truths, Distinctionibus utendum est, non ad velandum sed revelandum ut ubi obsourior loquendo, ibi distioguendo clarior & a­pertior fuit ve­ritas, aliter non distinguiter sed extinguiter. least instead of distingui­shing, we come to extinguishing at last, as we have already done. The true worshippers of Jesus Christ in the service of him, do willingly relinquish their greater part, that is, their reason, for spirituall things, are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.15. and the Spirit is to be served in spirit, Joh. 4.24. when the Gods were en­tertained in the old mans cottage, and he was bid aske what he would, Nothing at all (saith he) but this, That my cottage may be a Temple, and I a Priest to do you service there. Such prayers made such practise.

3. I do not thinke, nor ever yet could be brought to do, that there is any new light to be looked for, there may be a better managing of the old, prophecies indeed are now accom­plished, which heretofore were not, and so the helps are more then were, Curiositas reos facit non peritos, Curiosity makes men ra­ther guilty than skilfull; that of Salomon I thinke would be ex­pounded, Eccles. 1.9. No new thing under the Sun, and that pro­pounded [Page 23]to men in these times, Psal. 39.6. Man walketh in a vaine shadow, they are disquieted, and disquiet in vaine, the people might be more profitably taught, to walke in their old than wait for new light.

4. Self-deniall, self-submitting, much meeknesse, a spirit like Davids, O let not that precious balme breake mine head, a frame of heart like those that heard Peter, with readinesse to do whatsoever is commanded, Acts 10.33. were worth all; It is our hatred of reformation, which makes us so unwilling to stoope to the yoake of our Lord Jesus Christ: There is a seem­ing contradiction in the Scriptures, but it is but a seeming one, some presenting to us a marvellous ease in the yoake of Christ, and a lightnesse in his burthen; and others a marvellous diffi­culty. It is thus reconciled, Heaven and grace are both the most easie and the most hard that can be, they are most easie to the soule which will be taught of God, and will not resist his me­thod by attending their owne wisdomes. But to others they are matters of great difficulty: to God all things are possible, to flesh and blood, to the wit and will of man, to the freedome of our owne choise, nothing is so impossible. I remember the an­swer of a Philosopher to a great Prince, who had been his schol­ler, and was discontented at him for publishing his bookes, Be content, Sir, saith he, my bookes are published, and not published, none are ere the wiser for them, but those to whom they were read and made evident, so may be said of this mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Care must be taken also of the self-Oecanonicall, 4. Self-oeca­nonicall. or fa­mily selfe, that is to be regarged, the house is, Quotidiana so­cietas, our quotidian company, our every day guests are th [...], House what? elsewhere we are but as strangers, as for a time here we stand bound to take care of the earthly, spirituall house, yea, and an eternall one too, your servants are intrusted with your goods, and you are intrusted with their soules; Those families whose resolution is like Joshuahs, I and mine houshold will serve the li­ving God, Josh. 24.15. their religion will be like his too. Many houses here in London looke like the Divells Chappels. Where are your servants on Fast daies and Thanks­giving? Austine of his time saith thus, Is there any that yet mock at Jesus Christ, I would there were (saith he) but one, O that there were but two, O that they could be numbred. The Physitian hath an axiome, [Page 24]it is this, Catechizing. Caput malum, est caput omnium malorum, an evill head is the head of all evill; Masters and fathers if they looke not to promote grace and godlinesse in their houses, and in the hearts of theirs, out thence is sent furniture for the Ale-houses, ill­houses, Goales, and Gallowes, too too too often. The Apostle saith, Col. 4.15. Commend me to Nymphas, and the Church in his house. Here when Masters, Parents, Servants, children, keepe house to­gether in the feare of God, walking in waies of heaven, hereaf­ter also they come to keepe house together in the House of many houses eternally. See ye therefore I pray ye:

1. Catechizing to be regarded, a duty that we in these times have no thoughts of, yet Abrahams christianity was hereby cha­racterized, For I know him, that he will command his children and his houshold after him, Gen. 18.19. Moses gave it in charge, Deut. 6.6, 7. The Psalmist practiseth it, Come children, hearken to me, I will teach you the feare of the Lord, Psal. 34.11. When our Lord spake unto Peter, that John 21.19. Simon, lovest thou me? three times over, at length the command is given, and what is it, Feed my sheep, feed my lambs, to signifie unto us, that lambs also belong to the sheepfold of Jesus Christ. You shall finde a ser­vant sent about his Masters businesse, Gen. 24. and a great busi­nesse too, namely, to take a wife for his Masters Sonne, and he begins his worke with prayer, ver. 12. Lord God of my Master Abra­ham, send me good speed, and he ends it with prayer, ver. 27. Blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham. Out of what family came this servant, but out of Abrahams? out of a catechised family, see ver. 63. and you shall finde a Sonne out of the same family, going into the fields to meditate, observe it then, That Sonnes and servants out of catechized families, go about their busi­nesse meditating and praying; but others out of rude and un­catechized families, go about theirs, I feare, swearing, drink­ing, cursing, &c.

2. Masters and fathers of families must have care to get custody of, Adviros perti­net virtute vin­cere, & exem­plo regere foe­minas. Aug. l. 2. c. 8. to keepe custody of, yea, to recover the custody of, in case it should be lost; of, I say, 1. Authority. Now two pla­ces are in Scripture to this purpose, 1 Pet. 3.7. to dwell with the wife, according to knowledge, and not like a sot, a foole, and 1 Tim. 4.12. be an example in word, in conversation, in charity, in &c. this, this is that way for men to have, keepe, and recover [Page 25]their authority, 1. maintaining their authority to direction, Memento sem­per quod padisi colonum de pos­sessione sua, Mulier ejece­rit. Hieron. ad Ne­pot. Ambr. ep. l. 5.33. Maximè obser­vate vos, &c. ab uxoris con­citationibus, &c. per hanc in ultimo sup­plamare Job, visne est diab [...] ­lus. Orig. in Iob lib. 2. and 2. by managing it unto good example.

2. Orderly knowledge, and that is knowledge of the right object, that is, Jesus, made of the Father, wisdome, righteous­nesse, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. 2. Knowledge in the properties, pure, peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreat­ed, full of mercy and good fruits, Jam. 3.17. 3. Knowledge in the Schoole thereof, namely, begotten in and by the publike Ministry, 1 Cor. 4.15. 4. Knowledge in the end thereof, namely, a pious and sincere practise, such knowledge I would have kept in our houses.

3. Casting quite out of the family, affectations, prating, popula­rity, or boasting, out of the house, I say, and the heart too (if possible) of all those, in whose religion we would have comfort. As the stately rivers, which (being very deepe) passe along silent­ly, with a still and stately streame, so are truly wise men, they are such, the shallow brookes beating against sand and stones, make a great noise indeed, but have no depth, so are they which trouble the whole world with their garrulity, that un­ruly evill, The tongue, James saith, is full of deadly poyson, James 3.1.

Some counsels I give here to our talking ones.

1. Too much good tongue is in other things vanity, Counsells. in divers things prophanation, Pauls speech was not with enticing words of mans wisdome, 1 Cor. 2.3.

2. Some perswade, some are perswaded, but if there be not judgement going before, the former do deceive, and the latter suffer it, a wise man followes reason, and not passion, Rom. 14.5.

3. The more low people are (commonly) the more loose their tongues are, Ʋt quisque ab­jectissimus est ita solutissi­mum à linguae. Sen. therefore see and be wise in quietnesse and con­fidence, ( silentio & spe) shall be your strength, Esay 30.15.

5. Heed must be taken to the selfe of selves, our consciences I meane: One of the good old fashion'd Puritans, wrote a book and called it, Christian see to thy conscience. Pauls Religion is, I have hope towards God, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, And herein do I exercise my selfe, to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men, Acts 24.15, 16. this, this is it that is the Index judex carnifex, of [Page 26]which the Apostle saith, Fryer and the Shoomaker. If our heart condemne us not, then have we boldnesse toward God, 1 Joh. 3.21. The Frier had cozened the cre­dulous Shoo-maker of a paire of Shooes, the maker dies, but the wearer lives to weare that which he never paid for; some years passe, and at last to the conscience of the Fryer it comes, and he comes to make restitution, inquires for him, and receiving an­swer, That he was dead, Dead, saith he, hee's alive to me, I am sure. This, O this, is the continuall feast, Prov. 15.15. this is the Booke, Lycurgus Plu­tarch. Rev. 20.12. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the bookes were opened. Lycurgus was chosen King of the Macedonians, King, I say, if his brother the dead King, left not his wife with childe; the Queene is so, and sends Letters pri­vately to the King Elect, that if hee le gratifie her, shee'le take a course the childe shall never crouble him, Scientiae mul­tvm parum con­scientiae. for which he gives her thankes, and promiseth recompence, but with all desireth the childe may be borne, and then he can finde waies to destroy him; borne he is, and brought to Lycurgus, who kisseth, crown­eth, and proclaimeth him, chusing rather to lose a King­dome than a good conscience. The science (men tell me) in the daies we live in, is exceeding great, the good wine kept till now, the Gospell glimpses were never so lovely, the Temple is full of the smoake of the glory of God, old men dreame dreames, young men see visions, &c. All this I rejoyce in, and will rejoyce; But what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep, in mine eares? and the lowing of the oxen which I heare? I come no where almost, where I finde not complaints, for want of conscience, let me therefore say a word or two to this auditory, in behalfe thereof, conscience is too sullen to be among such as cannot endure to be sorrowfull for sinne, conscience is it selfe a booke, whereof all other bookes are but Expositions, our knowledge in them serves onely to informe us in this, or else we reade them to no purpose. Conscience is that which tea­ches Lawyers best to plead their owne Cause, Praise of con­science. and Judges to judge of themselves and for others aright; Conscience is a thing so divine, and hath such familiar acquaintance with God, that it will tell you (being often asked) whether God be with you, or against you, whether he be friend or foe: Of all newes the most soule-refreshing, and sin-suppressing tidings, conscience [Page 27]is the best counsellor to a christian, when he is alive, and the best comforter when a man is dead, yea, the best executor of his will and testament; conscience is the comfort of faith, truth and uprightnesse, and the ship wherein we carry that great venture of the Mystery of godlinesse.

One word more.

1. Marke well that Scripture, Jer. 23.23. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God a farre off? a God, our God is every where, and conscience is, Concludens scientiâ, conscience is a con­cluding science, accusing and excusing are all from conscience; if awaken, and if not, the judgement is the greater, Job 13.26. we reade, Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth, This is an heavy thing, when God comes neere a man thus, For it is fearefull not to forget that God remembers all my sins, Hos. 7.2.

2. He that would punish an evill conscience, Judas ipse Iu­dae sit accusa­tor. Aug. ad loc. let him but on­ly leave it to it selfe, Mat. 27.3. Judas himselfe is Judas his accu­ser; the working of conscience in hell, is set forth by a worme that never dies, weeping, and why? for not being in Heaven, for being in Hell, because they are with divells there, the worst of all bad company; if they would cry to God and Jesus, yet none would heare, none would pitty; and they gnash their teeth, against whom? themselves the acters, the divells the inti­cers, and others the provokers unto sin; this is accuser, judge, executioner indeed.

3. He that hath no conscience, or at least no use thereof, what shall be said to him? when Joseph was intised, his answer was, Gen. 39.9. How shall I do this great wickednesse, and sinne against the Lord? Here is to see the workings of a tender conscience; on the contrary, where there is none or a seared conscience, see the effect, Luke 16.14. the Pharisees who were covetuous heard all these things, and they derided him. Timor Dei janitrix animae, Feare of God, and a soft heart, keepe out thousands of sinnes, which other men commit with greedinesse.

4. He that hath a good conscience, O what boldnesse hath he toward God and man. Paul saith to the Hebrewes, Heb. 13.18. Pray for us, and marke the reason, for we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly. What would our Apostle [Page 28]have? precious men their precious prayers, the duty God hath put upon him, and the continuall danger in execution thereof, ingage him to require these things, why then would he have it? I am a man that desire, yea, deserve prayers from you; I have a good conscience, and who would not sue to God in that sup­plication, O Lord save all the good conscioned men in the world. Nay, Paul hath a good conscience in all things, a rare president; many make conscience of nothing, many of many things, but the rest they slight, and sin in not a few; few make conscience of all things, lesser, greater, how therefore shall this appeare? he is willing to live honestly, not compelled so to do, by feare, gaine, &c. and willing to live so in all things, for some referre that hither, howsoever it is, you here see the glory of a graci­ous conscience. O take heed to the selfe of your selves. Theodo­ricus, [...]. &c. one of the Emperours of Rome was an Arrian, and one of his Courtiers desiring to ingratiate himself with his Master, forth­with became an Arrian also, leaving his former way of Religi­on? the Emperour hearing of it, strait commands his head to be chopt off, and gives this reason, If, saith he, he will not keepe his faith to God, how will he keepe his conscience toward man? I would all those that are siding time-servers to every faction, would learne this.

The second Use which I am to make of this Doctrine, 2. Use. Rea­son of take heed. is to give a reason of all these take heeds, for I am to speake reason unto rationall men; nay, I am to speake Religion, which is reason refined; Division brings desolation probably, and very often, That's enough; but there is yet more to ingage us, division brings desolation certainly, if not foreseene, repented, pre­vented, Chrysostome. that's more. Chrysostome said once, If his pulpit were the highest mountaine, his voice like the voice of an Archangell, and his audience the whole world, he would chuse a text for himselfe and his time. And so would I for my selfe and our times, and it should be such a one as this I have chosen, Take heed of being divided amongst your selves, or against your selves. Desolation is in such cases neerer than we are aware of, there are degrees of the neer­nesse of ruine and desolation. Neerenesse of mine. That ground which beareth thornes and thistles, is rejected, and is nigh to cursing, Heb. 6.8. nigh, very nigh it, Salvation is farre from the wicked, saith David, [Page 29]and how farre? as farre as they are from it, and the waies thereof, and that's farre enough. Now If I should say, A King­dome, City, or house divided, are neare to ruine, and in pro­bability like to fall one upon another, how shall this be pro­ved? By a gradation from our Saviours Argument.

1. If any one of these be divided against it selfe.

2. But if two of these be so divided. Spirituall Geography.

3. If then all of these be divided.

4. And if more than all the Church too begin to be divided, then desolation is neare, and nearer than secure men are aware of. But me thinkes I see amongst us such Divisions as these:

1. In Causes; when Gregory the seventh differed so long with the Emperours, both pretend it is for Religion, and it makes the difference a great deale the more irrecoverable.

2. In Principles, for the Fundamentalls are destroyed, and Conversion, Repentance, Charity, Duty neglected, in stead where­of, Notion and nothingnesse.

3. In Assumptions. Most Preaching is not sound Doctrine, most men regard not Preaching, but such, ergo most men must needs be deceived and divided.

4. In Judgements; we judge not aright of enemies who they are, nor aright of enmities, what they are; nor yet aright of excellencies what they are.

Then comes Desolation, this ushers it in; What be­comes first de­solate by di­visions? and if any aske me de­solation of what? Paul answereth, The desolation at Corinth, how came it, and what became desolate? their very best things, Preaching became an empty thing, when one said, I am of Paul, and I of Apollo, and I of Cephas, 1 Cor. 1.12. Men may cry up servants so long till they forget the Master, and consider not in whose name they were Baptized, and who was Crucified for them, and so did they, verse 13. their Communions began to be desolate: Paul saith of them himselfe, This is not to eat the Lords Supper, 1 Cor. 11.20. There is a Prophesie, Esay 3.5. The people shall be oppressed every one by another, and every one by his neighbour; the Childe shall behave himselfe proudly against the ancient, and the base against the Honourable; and what then, verse 8. Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: this truth fits our time, the King will have a new-fashioned Al­tar, [Page 30]2 King. 16.14.15. such a one as he had seene at Damascus, and the Priest will build him one, if he will have it so; the ob­servation the ancient made thereupon was Erexit Altare, See Aug. Ad hoc. versus altare; now there's Altar against Altar in Israel, Is there so in England too? Pulpit against Pulpit, Preacher against Preacher, it is an ill signe, Am [...] 6.11. God hath smitten the great house with breaches, and the lesse house with clefts; nay, their hearts are divi­ded, now shall they be found faulty, He shall breake downe their Altars, and he shall spoile their Images, for now they shall say, We have no King because we feared not the Lord, What com­pany he must have with him which meanes to come by his owne. what then should a King doe to us, Hos. 10.2, 3. We have spirits amongst us, the good Lord calme them; such as Melancthon spake of in his time, of whom if you meane to get any thing you must come furnished with a Divine and a Lawyer, yea, and a Souldier too, or else goe home empty. When men prove errouns it is a great wonder if they turne not turbones; unfaithfull men are for the most part unreasonable men, and the unright in judgement turbu­lent. 1 Right of Parliament. 2 King. 3 Subject. There is a three-fold right which our eyes are on here in England, the right of Parliament, the right of King, and the right of Subject; we said in the beginning of these Warres, and we said truly, That the former and the latter could not be preserved unlesse the other, the Kings Right and Prerogative were pared a little, that it might not prove too redundant and burthensome: Was this a good rule for Kings? and why not for Subjects? 1 Right Par­liamentory. 2 Independant 3 Presbyte­rian. Let us try a little, there is now the right Parlia­mentary, the Independant right, and the Presbyterian, they that sit at Helme are able to Judge whether the two latter had not both need to be cut, that the former may grow the better. I onely presse the reason of all these Take heeds, and leave the use to the Lords blessing.

The third use gives a direction to take heed, 3 Use, directi­on to take heed. our great Pro­phet would have no man plead ignorance, and therefore hath laid downe an order, wherein we shall doe well to observe him; for, He is the God of order and not of confusion; and we are then likest him when we doe things in an orderly way. They wrote a profitable Booke once, and called it as it was, Londons Survey; a great helpe to many men for many purposes; Here is a Survey of our Divisions, taken by the skill of the Master-builder him­selfe, [Page 31]wherein as in a Map may be seene what it is that troubles our Israel, and yet makes us afraid. First, our Kingdom Divi­sions, what are they?

1. The Wolfe and the Lamb lye downe together, our peo­ple are divided about this, they say, They are Wolves still, and not so much as musled; yet men are divided in their opinions about this, and doe not know what to say or think. One of the Civilians, in my hearing, once in his Speech at a Visitation said, envying against the conscientious Non-conformists, Some of these Doggs must be tyed up, and some hang'd up, said he, the Gentleman lives now in Towne, and hath his liberty; such spi­rits are indeed conjured downe by Parliament Magick, but the sinne is but pocketed, not mortified.

2. Our Worship of God now adaies is just like that, 2 King. Exscind [...]inum, sed abscondit peccatum &c. Lactan. 17.28, 33. They feared the Lord, and served their owne gods, the men of Babylon made one god, and the men of Cuth ano­ther, verse 30. We have two waies of Praying, Marrying, Preaching, Baptizing; the Ministers drop away apace out of London: But 'tis no matter, say many, the Clerkes of London (most of them of the right stampe) finde out Curates enow to doe the Worke which came lately from Oxford.

3. Our people say now as heretofore they in Jud. 21.16. Pitty, how? How shall we doe for Benjamin our brother? If a man aske them, Why would you have them pittied; they presently give in an­swer that 2 Chron. 28.10. Yee purpose to keepe under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for Bond-men, and Bond-women unto you, but are there not with you, even with you sinnes against the Lord your God? I would have the State deale with those men, as God doth with poore sinners in his dealings with them, so they shall be merci­full as their heavenly Father is mercifull, and that's the rule; he restraines à toto, altogether, when he hinders the sinne, True restreint what? 1. à toto. 2. à tanto. all of it; so was Joseph restrained, he restraines à tanto, in part, when though there be desire, resolution, preparation, processe, and the like, yet God keepes from extremity; desire, resolution, &c. may yet live, it may be lesse actions destructive be strang­led; twenty City discentions, and differences, what are they? Essentials of a well-governed City. Famous Cities of old had these things, which they made much of, their Husbandry, Artificers, Militia, Merchandize, their [Page 32]Priest-hood, and their Judicature; these were thought Essen­tialls, and indeed they were so, they are so; your Associated Counties have filled your Sacks with Corne by the good hand of God, Kent was a little wilde once, but God reclaim'd them; your Artificers begin now a little to hold up their heads, your Militia hath been the Gallantry and envie of England, this ve­ry day remembers me of Nubury Battell, but your Ministery de­cayes, it decayes exceedingly, London had never more need of, nor lesse care for a good Ministery. Some men say, It is supersti­tious to pay Tithes; our people say, better a great deale to turne their Tithes into Gifts and Oblations, and then they are offered at another Shrine. Let no man, I beseech you, curse your Judi­catories, for want of justice doing to all.

1. Counsells. Let God speake one word to you, and marke it well; For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sinnes of the house of Israel, Micah 1.5. All this, all which? see verse 4. the Moun­taines are molten, and the Vallies cleft; What is the trans­gression of Jacob, is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah, are they not Jerusalem? A strange kinde of speaking, Samaria and Jerusalem are the great places, the great sinnes; London and Westminster are so, the Idolatry of Eng­land, the evill example of England, the poison of places. O amend your waies, your Manna-loathing, your giddy-headed­nesse, yea Londoners, for feare you make God and good men weary of you.

2. Let me speake another word to you, 'tis but a word or two, Magistratui cives, Magistratus legibus, till the people obey their Governours, and till they obey the Lawes, no good will be done. Boni domo, malus civis. Every good man is not presently a good Citizen; you say, Keepe thy Shop, and it will keepe thee; I say, Keepe your Lawes, and they'le keepe you. The two great Ordinances of Magistracy and Ministery have been the envie of wicked men in all Ages of the world. Austin saies, There were three great sinnes, Idola­try, Exod. 32. punished with the Sword, the burning of the Roll, Jerem. 36.23. punished with Captivity, but Division, Numb. 16. in Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, punished with the Earths dividing and swallowing them up.

3. Our House-Dissention, what? O what not? Father against [Page 33]the Sonne, Sonne against the Father; Husband against Wife, House Dis­sensions. Wife against Husband; and indeed a mans enemies are those of his owne Houshold. The Canonists have one rule, Omne malum à sacerdotibus, no evill that comes not from the Priests: and Luther hath another very blunt, but very true, Nunquam periclitater religio infiniter reverendissimus, Religion never comes into grea­ter danger than among the right Reverend; Preaching ad­vised, devised. whether the Priest be most, or the people most in fault he cannot tell; one thing I know, that what the Apostle saith is true, There are that creepe into houses, and lead Captive silly women laden with divers lusts, ever learning, and never learned. I thinke things will never goe well till we of the Ministry be by Ordinance as from God, so from man injoyned to preach all our errours, without partiality Truth-ward, all our Heresies whatsoever Hell-ward, all our own sheepe (if we have any) to Repentance, Obedience, & Duty-ward; and all other mens sheepe either stolne, or stragled to their owne Fold-ward againe, so shall we pray for ours, as the Christians heretofore for their government.

The fourth Use will informe us, Use 4. Christ mistaken. That here is to be seene Jesus Christ in a mistake indeed, where is he not so to be seene; I meet him so almost in every place, in not a few Pulpits great mi­stakes, and fundamentall, never more Hay, Stubble and Straw built upon the foundation than now; this must be amended also. He said to the purpose, That Optima Respublica quae maxime legis, minimè rhetores audit, If it be the best Common-wealth that obeyes rather than disputes, I think it will be found also the best Church that doth so. It will be a good warning to let the peo­ple know that there may be much mistaking about truth; there­fore observe:

1. The Lord Jesus cannot be divided, a truth to which the Apostle sets to his testimony, 1 Cor. 1.12. why then if they shall say unto me, Behold, he is in the Desart, I'le not goe forth, behold, he is in the secret Chambers, I will not beleeve it, Matth. 24.26. I will even resolve to seeke him where I have found him, and that is even walking in such publike Ordinances as these in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, Rev. 1.13. No greater deceit can be obtruded upon a man, then to set him to seeke there for a thing where we know it is not, or where [Page 34](indeed he is not) though we did not know the same. Jugling about Antichrist just as about Christ. How is the Jew deceived in his Messia? How the Turk in his Mahomet? but even so. The type of Antichrist is in Daniel, himselfe in John, now the Papists seeke for himselfe in Daniel where his type is, and in John where himselfe is; they are afraid to seeke him for feare to finde him. Counsells. I would not have us to deale so in seeking for Jesus Christ; in the publike ordinances, He hath bin found of those that sought him to their comfort, and to their conversion. To send a people to looke him where he is not, for feare they should finde him were a sad sinne to be guilty of; I did never thinke, nor yet doe, that he is rather to be found in the private than in the publike meetings; nor that he is at all to be found in many of those places which the people are made to beleeve are better than Church-meetings.

2. The Divell and Sin cast out both one way. There are not two waies of casting out Beelzebub; What, doth Satan cast out Satan? Doth the Independant cast him out one way, and the Presbyterian another way? Indeed all our work in the Ministery is nothing but to cast out Divells, for every sin is a divell, and every Minister is or ought to be a man indeavou­ring i [...] the strength of Jesus Christ to cast out these Divels out of himse [...] others, & all the people of God; It is a work that hath been done heretofore, and the dispossessed have given thankes therefore to God. So then, as our Lord asketh one question, so I'le aske another; he asketh, By whom did your children cast him out? As our fathers served Christ, so must we in this particular. and I aske, By whom did our Fathers cast him out? Paul excellently, F [...] though you have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have you not so many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell. Are they now then become your enemies be­cause they did you good? Take heed you doe not cast off your Preachers, their old precepts, and your old practisings, till at length you grow from something to nothing; those whom God hath honoured with the conversion of many, are scarce honou­red now with the company of any; of any, I say, no body al­most to heare them. None of those who must acknowledge, even them to be the instruments of Gods mercy to them.

3. The worke; the very businesse of Jesus Christ, is the de­stroying of the workes of the Divell, so saith the Apostle, 1 Joh. 8.8. Heare yee then and be not proud, for surely God hath [Page 35]spoken this thing, our Ministery and our Government, while they are acting so to destroy the workes of the Divell, they act with Christ, and they act for Christ, and Christ will doubtlesse (whatsoever foolish men say) act with them, and act for them. Let us therefore give up our selves to this service, let us make this our businesse, God hath made it so, and resolve to say with Ber­nard, Nitius me privares amaro mors, vitae meae usu quam fructu, it were better to lose life it selfe than the purpose to which God inten­ded it. There are two great Workes of the Divell to be acted against in our sinnes.

1. Decrease of duty must be acted against, Our publike concerning Duties, our Fasts faile, Ale-houses and Tavernes about London take more money on those daies then they doe till such daies come againe almost, some of them have bragged so. Cui bonites si­ve De [...], ui Deus si [...] Christo. Tert. Sins merese. certainely if duty faile as it hath done, and doth daily, we shall all faile with it. I heare some say, I [...]le sing no Psalmes at home, or at Church ei­ther, unlesse I be sure they be all Saints I sing with; I heare others say: I'le not Catechise my children, for feare I should make Hypocrites of them. Whence came this Doctrine forth? Are these indeed the words of truth and sobernesse? Heretofore good Christians have found benefit by the old way of duty, and yet not trusted to it, or any thing but the onely to be trusted; For what goodnesse is there without a God? and what God [...]i [...]hout a Christ? Heretofore these things were thought to be the way to the Kingdome, though not the cause of reigning. Betweene trusting to a worke done, and not doing it when it ought to be done, is a great difference.

2. Increase of sinne must be acted against, increase of all sin, but especially of such kinde of sinne and wickednesse as becomes a man's sinnes, that they are also Gods punishments; because they beleeved not the Gospell, because they received not the love thereof, God gave them up to beleeve a [...]ye, 2 Thess. 2.11. If any man shall doe his will, he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or no, Jo. 7.17. These two sins increase mightily amongst us, the want of love and truth, and the want of practice thereof; under which two notions indeed the whole of the sinne of our time is committed. Between wit, learning, authority, [...] [...] and [...] and ex­perience there hath been a great question which should be the greatest, but it was alwaies granted to experience to [...] for it being conversant about sensible things, and by [...] tained, doubtlesse it doth not so easily erre in the [...]bject, as [...] [Page 36]courses and deductions of skill. We have had gracious experi­ences of the conversing with, and finding of God in publike or­dinances, and of the sweetnesse that is to be found in the love of practise, and of duty; if any man have found another, a newer, a nearer way to communion with God; I doe not grudge him his, nor will I (till I see more) be drawne out of mine owne. Prudence among the Ancients had wont to be painted thus; Prudence what? An Hand full of eyes, with five fingers, long, strong, and very white and faire; that is to say, Memory, understanding, circum­spection, fore-sight and execution; if there be prudence amongst us, as I hope there is yet much left, nor doe the prudent keepe silence in the gate; I hope we shall remember our peace, how yet young it is, understand the things that make for it, looke about and see who causeth divisions; fore-see that which our Lord saith will be the issue, and doe execution impartially on the Peace-disturbers.

The fifth Use leades us to see, 5. Use, Dire­ction. That there is a rule of Condem­ning Divisions, not all of them, nor promiscuously are they to be adjudged against, but regularly and with discretion. Some have said, Cause of all errour. and thought, That the causes of all the errours of our times have been such as these, mis-application, fallacy, cre­dulity, supine carelesnesse, and the cleaving unto antiquity, and authority over-much, without such disquisitions as become those that would Try all things, and hold fast that which is good. And if I should stay a little here, and take these into considera­tion surely much, and exceeding much might be said. Men are made up of mis-applications, they are preached and practised, if fallacy and sophisme ever would passe for current reasoning and Religion, surely they are now gilded over to deceive the eyes of the simple; credulity, such as the wise man hints, The foole beleeveth every thing is the Idoll of the times, and when all these goe before, you must needs thinke what followes after amongst many men, even a resolved negligence of every thing till every thing be established; The King of Navarre to Beza. or if they seeme to doe or say some­thing, it is but as the King of Navarre said to Beza, That he would goe no further to Sea than he might sleepe ashore, when pleased him; or as the Polititian said, He would follow Reli­gion as he followed a Horse, not too neare for feare he should [Page 37]kick, and hurt him: A man's foolishnesse brings him into for­mality, and that into nothing. But this is that which undoes our times and people, they have false selves, and they have false Glasses whereinto they looke themselves, False selves too truely looked unto. and a false Glasse will not easily shew a true face; marke then these false-selves-follow­ing. Men will say, They have a care of all these selves, and they have a selfe of Religion. Then for answer:

1. The Selfe of Religion men speake of so much, 1 Times Selfe mystically. it is a Re­ligion without Reformation; I read men as well as bookes, and heare men scoffe at the great Reformation, at our great Refor­mers too; but these are great sensualists, a Generation of men and women, concerning whom our Apostle is very plaine, They speake evill of the things they know not, 2 Pet. 2.12, That place of the Author to the Hebrewes is to be marked diligently, its de­signe, and the Doctrine therein, as exceeding fit for our times; Reformation. the first Tabernacle stood onely in meats and drinkes, and di­vers washings, and carnall ordinances imposed on them, untill the time of (Reformation) which word I heare finde onely in the New Testament, and may be expounded thus; [...]. till the sea­son of better judging; so then I conclude that till the time, such a time onely, a time of Reformation some things were to conti­nue; who therefore destroyes Reformation, destroyes one of Gods designes: speake not against Reformation. Common Prayer. And here now for our Booke of Common Prayer, men are divided strangely. For:

1. Some aske, Shall we have none of this, and complaine that for want of formes of Baptizing &c. for the Country, their Ministers make but halfe Marriage, and commit such whole absurdities in the Baptizing of Infants, Administration of the Lords Supper, &c. That it grieves some, causeth others to jeere▪ and shames the Ordinance, and that Solemnity wherewith the things of God should be performed. The Slavonians seeking to Pope Formosus, that they might have Service in their owne Mother Tongue, Slavonians re­quest. it was debated in a Counsell, wherein a voyce was heard from Heaven, saying, Let every Spirit praise the Lord, and all Tongues confesse him: Whereupon for that time it was granted. This is found in En. Silvest.

[Page 38] 2. Some stubbornely, againe say peremptorily, Wee'le have none but this; in this we have been brought up; thus our fa­thers served God; Raboldus. and as they, so we. The Duke of Frizland, Raboldus by name, about the yeare of our Lord 900. being per­swaded, as he pretended, to imbrace Christianity, as he went to be baptized, and had the one of his feet in the water, he de­manded of the Bishops, Whether all his fore-fathers were damned? the Bishops answered, more rashly then wisely, That they were all damned, whereupon the Duke pulled back his feet againe, say­ing, Then will I also be damned with them. This was a resolution scarce becomming a man, much lesse a wise or noble man. This division of ours, which every foot gives out a crack of discon­tent, which makes a loud noise among our people, I take not upon me to determine any thing in, Who am I, that I should guide our guiders? onely this I say, That were it but considered, in how many places every Lords day, something is done this way in not a few parishes, and that not without railing against the Parliament, and the perswading the people that they live under tyranny and persecution, because this is withdrawne; how much better were it, either to let us every day be drawing neerer unto covenanted Uniformity? Covenanted uniformity. or else to give satisfaction, that what is done this way, is done by a granted connivency? I must needs confesse, I finde this a very heavy burden to many, and some seeing this, and some other pressures, are ready to say, We shall see the day that the Parliaments friends will be the greatest sufferers, even they whose zeale caused them to do and speak most in worst times.

2. 2. Selfe-Li­berty. The selfe of Liberty which men speake of, what is in­tended, I judge at, but what is pretended, that I heare, and it is a Gospell liberty, such as wherewith Christ hath manifested us, Gal. 5.1. even the Sonne of God hath made us free, such a free­dome, and under such a purchase at that (on a right and well grounded perswasion of it) a man would willingly rather loose himselfe, and what is his, than the least part of his right and in­terest in it: Let us therefore give eare againe to our vox populi.

1. In all things. Liberty in all things! theres a Religion indeed, say some, and they are scandalized, they sit them downe, and say, Is this it I have fought for, saith the Souldier? is this it I have prea­ched [Page 39]for, saith the Divine? Sure I was greatly mistaken, I wrote preached, and prayed for, not libertinisme, we had too much of that before, but st [...]ictnesse in Doctrine, Discipline; every way the reines were too loose afore, and to throw them now quite into mens necks, what will become of this? Gods people are chid­den for sparing any of the Heathen, Jud. 2.3. Must we tolerate all and mingle with them.

2. Liberty in nothing! Here's a government indeed, In nothing. tyranny and pesecution this is, and no lesse, and here I heare men rai­ling at and envying against the Parliament and Assembly, and who not? as though they were abridged of some of that their liberty which was borne with them, or bestowed on them; I heare men exhorted to prepare for sufferings; and one Doctrine I met withall the other day, pressed strongly, and I thought ap­plied as strongly, the Doctrine was this, That it was Gods new Testament designe, that his new Testament Saints should patiently suffer under old Testament counsells and persecutions.

Our liberty, which is temporall, is set downe, 1 Cor. 10 29. Liberty. Temporall. why is my liberty judged of another mans conscience? there in­deed we have a liberty, and such a one as is best when offence is neither given nor justly taken thereby.

Our liberty spirituall is held fotth in 1 Pet. 2.16. as free, Spirituall. and not using your liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse, but as the servants of God, we are rather as free indeed, than altogether so, and yet whom the Sonne of God makes free, they must be free indeed, in a rightly understood freedome.

Our liberty celestiall is expressed, Rom. 8.21. Celestiall. the creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of cor [...]uption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Now here is liberty truly compleat, and indeed such it is, as is a liberty from sinne and causes thereof, such a liberty in the full, as is there promised in part, where God saies, He will put his people in a place of their owne, and the wicked shall trouble them no more, 2 Sam. 7.10.

I thinke there is no more but Liberty-carnall, Carnall. of which a man shall need to reade nothing but what he sees some men take liberty to sweare, to drinke, to serve God when they will, and how they will, to refraine publike meetings, &c. For which he [Page 40]that will plead, I say of him, as heretofore Joash said unto all that stood against him, He that will plead for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning, Jud. 6.31. Mine advice there­fore in this point is, Forasmuch as this is a very weighty point, and much, insisted on, a point about which so much division is, and not a little of it (it may be) such as wherein men fight with shadowes rather than adversaries.

That the liberty be:

1. Deliberated. Soundly deliberated, by whom? how? why? when? in any cases, to any persons to be granted, questions fit to be left unto some exactly learned Casuist in matter of Divinity, and to some subtill Statesman in matter of policy; for by whom? if the Parliament, then power is in them? how should it be given?

2. Delivered. Sweetly and meekly delivered, without bitternesse, no mo­rosity, it is unprofitable, it doth no good at all, much harme ra­ther, and if delivered, to whom and on what termes, and un­der what notion.

3. 3. Selfe. The selfe of Doctrine which men speake of, for they would have teaching too is a Doctrine yet without Discipline: pleasing things, a Gospell utterly without the Law, no cha­stisement, all of love, nothing of feare, constraint is very un­Gospell like, men thinke and say so too, Meliores amor flectit, sed plures timor, Love bends many, but feare bowes more, was the old rule. Against the light of Doctrine no man will be so bold as to barke; To aske whether light be pleasant, is a blinde mans question; Why most men care for no Discipline. to aske whether knowledge be sweet, is an ignorant mans question; but to aske whether divine light is most sweet, is a prophane mans question, but no Discipline. The rea­son of this, no wise men say to be because the Nobility is to blame to say no more, and the Gentry filthy, the Clergy flatter­ing, and the Communalty so exceedingly overwhelmed with prophanenesse, that they would willingly go downe into the pit, and not be troubled; as if it were an ease to go to hell ea­sily, or as if the spirit of Satan were got into the sons of men, that they said to all the meanes of saving them, as the Divels said to our Lord Jesus Christ, Why art thou come to torment us bofore the time?

They were brave dayes our people thinke, when

1. The greater sort in their Adulteries. Whoredomes, &c. were all above, quite above the reach of any discipline; the Courtiers durst say to the Preachers as hee to the Prophet, pro­phecy no more at Bethell, for it is the Kings Chappell, and the Kings Court. Amos 7.13. Impiety increasing with migh­ty increases, and no reason, but because his old friend Impunity clapt him on the back with incouragement, such as we read, Ps. 12.4. who is Lord over us? let the Almighty depart from us, who is the Lord? &c.

2. The other sort, none of them were under the lash, if able to turne white sheets into white shillings, they were comutacioners, changes very sad, we chang'd our glory in­to our shame, when Parva lequor quidvis, Nummis present­bus, apta, eveniet, clansam possidet arca Jovem: How unlike to those times was this where the charge runs thus, If the Delin­quent would have pardon, let him aske it with his owne teares, Si veniam reus speret, petat cum lacrimis, petat totius ecclesiae fletibus, Amb. de pen. l. 1. c. 16. yea, and with the teares of the whole Church, it was so in an­cient times.

1. To the willing to learne I propose Saint Austin's rule, I think it is a good one, and it is this, He that goeth against reason is no wise man: and he that goeth against the Scri­pture is no sober man; and he that goes against the Church is no peaceable man: There are but two places appointed for the cleansing of a sinner: earth and hell, there also, but two meanes, fire and water: He that washeth not himself in the wa­ter of penitentiall teares here, must lye hereafter in flames of fire to indure, paines unutterable, and without end.

2. To the willing to submit, I say one word more

Of great experience doubtlesse, of Gods dealings, and soule refreshings was that weeping prophet, who in the Chur­ches name delivered that, Lam. 3.27. it is good for a man that hee beare the yoke in his youth: And indeed I never read but of two yokes, and they are one of Doctrine, and the other of Discipline: and it is good, God saith, The yoke of God. to beare them both.

Fourthly, The Family selfe which I see men making so [Page 42]much of, 4 Selfe econo­micall. it is riches, and the pompe of the world, riches gotten with wrong and held to the hurt of the owners thereof. Hea­ven is amongst most people a kinde of superfluity and hang-by; gaine is their Godlinesse; the Religion of Ephesits, God wot, and no other, then whom God hath blessed from the dunghill; O how uncharitable, proud, cruell, disdainfull, for earth pro­viding, and heaven neglecting they are; over-reaching our bre­thren in bargaining is now counted a vertue, indeed a matter of ostentation, Quod Gillias possidebat, omni­um quasi commu­ne patrimonium erat. Fitipsius precordia liberalitatis ha­buit, et domus e­ius quasi quae­dam muni ficen­tiae officina. but why is it? even because the word of God must needs be true. Fooles make a mocke at sinne, Prov. 14.9. The saying of old was of Gillias, that what he had was every Mans patrimony; the cleane contrary is very true of very many men, what every man hath is theirs if they can lay their hands thereupon: O the noble spirits of Luther and such manner of Hem: Germana illa bestia non curat aurum, when it was said of him, bribe him, tempt him with money: no, (saith my authour) hee's a man regards no coine, that speech of his, when such great, offers were made unto him is very heavenly. He re­fuseth with these words valde protestatus sum, me nolli sic satiari ab eo. I have strongly engaged my selfe, not to be satisfied with meane things from God; noble minded Basil gave the Emperour Valentius this peremptory, but gallant answer. Haec pueris non Christianis offer. Sir, you should offer these to children, and not to Christians, Bernard, sicut mea non sibi place [...]t, &c. As what I give thee, cannot be pleasing to thee without my selfe, so Lord, the contemplation of what thou hast given us doth refresh us, but not enough, without thy selfe: and the reason that he gives is very precious, True spirituall pride. Habet enim vera sapientia sui generis superbians, for true wisedome hath its kinde of spiritually wise pride, and will not be long, or alwayes contented with any thing, lesse then the living God; Somewhere it is said in Scripture, I have smitten mine hands at thy dishonest gaine.

Some Apollos mighty in the Scriptures, whose Preaching is like thunder, Precept for rich men. and his life like lightening; I would have set upon it to tell, yea, and charge those rich men too.

1. With that precept, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust [Page 43]in uncertaine riches, but in the living God: the more rich and plen­tifull God makes men, the more humble harmelesse, and heaven providing to be, laying up for themselves a good foundation, good works they are not lost, but laid up, and for foundations to eter­nity. Dorcas her coates, God hath them in remembrance; the great Preacher, who gave the lewd rich man a visit, speakes thus to him, after some time; Sir, God be mercifull to you if he will, and pardon your sinnes, which I beleeve not; and bring you to Heaven, which is (as your case is) impossible.

2. with that example too; Example for them.

With that Luke 12. where Christ befooles the men that are on­ly worldly wise, and no more ex rosis, non ex stellis, plures epicuri quum astronomi, the wise man said, and what a fearefull thing will it be after a man hath seene all other gaine, to sit downe and sigh, because of the soules losse. Dives and Lazarus their comparison in regard of outward and present things, is without comparison; but if you looke upon them after death, you see they are as farre asun­der as Heaven and Hell. Didiceram elatus domine, iniquitates meus, discam humiliatus justificationes tuas, If men be lifted up, they minde nothing but their sinnes; but if they be cast downe, then they remember Gods mercies: and indeed, how much better is it to be broken with afflictions unto salvation, then to be preserved by prosperity unto evils, which God will not pardon, 2 Reg. 24.4. Selfe of selfe in the world what?

Fiftly, The self of our selves, what is that? the thing that men desire herein is either no Conscience, or none use thereof, men think them­selves, least themselves when indeed they are most so; and on the contrary, when they can out-brave sin, out-live tendernesse of Con­science, and say as he said of old to his reprover. Thou foole, Stulte tu nonne putas me vereri Deos cum talia faciam? Nero to Se [...]: dost thou beleeve that I beleeve there is any God, when I doe these things? then they are themselves they thinke; I have heard men give thankes to God, for that which indeed is one of the heaviest judgements under Heaven: namely, they thanke God they were never troubled in all their lives, ubi non hoc bellum, ibi pax diabolica, saith Saint Austin. Where there is not this warre, there's a devilish peace. How happy was Paul in his smiting to the ground, his blind­nesse, distresse of Conscience, prayer and the like? you know the story, Act 9. the excellency of godly sorrow, and the effects therof, [Page 44]2 Cor. 7.11. are set forth unto us, if we would hearken to Gods holy word, as in the body so in the soule; there is but the wound and the medicine in the body, and but the sinne and the sorrow in the soule, no more to be regarded.

1. Chrysostome's resolution con­cerning swea [...] ­ing. Some zealous man for God, must doe as heretofore, Chry­sostome did when he was to preach to the Athenians, it seems they were a people much given to swearing, and he protests that untill they leave their swearing he will never leave preaching against it; even so would I have the Ministers of God to resolve never to leave preaching against false bottomes, till our people be setled up­on a true one: and our falfe bottomes are not a few whereon men settle themselves. Mat. 7.23. and then will I professe unto them, I never knew you. False bottomes Depart from mee all yee that worke iniquity, profes­sion without practise; the mistaking of the meanes of grace and holinesse, for grace and holinesse it selfe. Selfe-love, and thinking our selves to be something, when we are nothing; formality and meere out-sidenesse in Religion, opus operatum, and the serving of God with an action done: these are the things which breed so many miscariages amongst us.

2. Fundamentals. But how shall this worke be done? No other way, but by preaching and pressing the fundamentals; Such texts as that Mat. 18.3. except yee be converted yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except thou be regenerate and borne againe, thou canst not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, Iohn 3. Such texts I say as these are, they must be preach'd, opened and applied. The Fathers tell us in good earnest, that they did never beleeve another man had need to be converted, untill they were converted themselves; this is downe-right dealing, I like it very well, and it remembers me of what Lactantius saith. Were there (saith he) but 7 wise men in Greece? If but 7 wise men in Greece, none at all. no, but 7 onely, why then there was none: there must be some more wise men to judge of their wisedome, otherwise, a wise man is not a wise man in the judgement of a foole. Wise men thinke that Religion is ex­ceedingly decaying in England, because a yong Hipocrite makes an old Atheist sure; and there are now so many of the first, that in the next Century we thinke there will be not a few of the last; our God provide for his people.

The great Prophet alwayes preached a way, He that preaches not a way, prea­ches nothing. and so must the lesser doe; it is dangerous to presuppose a people to be Saints, and holy, and so to preach unto them; it were better to teach them how to be so, and to try whether they be so or no. Better I say, I thinke, to aske our Saviours question, whom doe you say that I am? 2 Questions. Mat. 16.15. then to aske that question Acts 19.2. Have you recei­ved the Holy Ghost since you beleeved, let the godly wise consider it, and they that have the worke of the harvest in their hands. Not a few I beleeve in this great City, puffed up with their perswasion of themselves and others of them; if they should come to cleare dealing withall, must say that they had need to be instructed in the doctrine of Faith, Baptisme and the Holy Ghost too. Well the Scripture speakes of a good conscience, Acts 23.1. of a cleare conscience, Acts 29.16. of a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9. of a purged conscience, Heb. 9.14. of an evill conscience Heb. 10.22. of a weake conscience, 1 Cor. 8.12. and of a seared conscience, 1 Cor. 4.2. which of these now is thy conscience, it behoveth thee to take notice of.

And take this with thee, whosoever thou art. 1 Ad sui preserva­tionem. 2 Ad preservatio­nem universi. I never heard a description of vertue that pleased me better then that Brevis et ve­ra definitio virtutis est, ordo amoris, Aug. vertue is nothing else, and grace too, but the very ordering of our love; take heed of a heart and conscience loving divisions which God hateth.

The Philosophers say there is a twofold motion, in naturall things; one whereby they move unto the preservation of them­selves; and another, whereby they move unto the preservation of the whole universe. Water naturally moves downe-ward; never­thelesse, for the generall good, it will move upwards rather then faile; so should Religion and good conscience doe; move to our private good, so, as that withall we remember that we serve our generation, and be usefull also. It is an ill spirit, and a worse con­science, that hath so much minde of its owne things, that it re­gards not the things of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Use. 6 The 6. use teacheth us Gods course of convincing men. Course of con­vincing men. How to convince I say, a work of the Holy Ghost; a work, which is sometimes, as immediately going before conversion, as the mor­ning before the day, as in those Act. 2.37. they were pricked in [Page 46]their hearts, and they said, men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved? and in all the such like instances wheresoever. For, of this let men be well assured, that whensoever God doth clearly reveale himself to the soule: Marks of a man rightly convin­ced. He presently worketh this great work of conviction, and in this order.

1. God maketh a man to beleeve his misery by sin, and to be much troubled for it.

2. He consulteth in this case what to doe, and is much troubled about it.

3. He is exceedingly broken in heart, and humbled to the dust.

4. Above all things in the world he desireth forgivenesse of those sins which with a free heart he now confesseth.

5. He forsaketh all for the assurance of that pardon, and highly prizeth it; yea, all things drosse and dung in comparison of it.

6. He applyeth Christ and his promise, lives therein, groaning after all excellencies, effects, and evidences of pardon. In this or­der holy Scripture sets forth conviction to be wrought; But yet further it may be marked, that

1. Gods worke sometimes. Conviction is indeed the work of the great God, and of him alone, he is the heart-opener: Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul, Act. 16.14. For it is not the willer, nor the runner, but God that sheweth mercy, Rom. 9.15, 16. of old the Lord had these wayes to convince his people.

1. There were Philosophers, Prophets, or Poets, and Orators and Wisemen, of whom what vice was it which was not brought into disgrace? what vertue was unperswaded? that a man may safely say of some of them, that they left unto posterity more clear­nesse, and Prints of Divinity, than all the books of the Schoolemen put together. So (as I remember) said Bucer also of Seneca.

2. Bucer's saying of Seneca. They had their proverbs, and voyces of men, publickly a­gainst them, as that against the Cretians was a proverb, Tit. 1.12. The Cretians are alwayes liars, slow-bellies, and evill beasts; and this in my Text a proverbiall sentence also.

3. They had the works of God, by which he intended to leave men without excuse, Rom. 1.20. As raine and fruitefull seasons, Act. 14.17. Nay, they had yet more, the naturall knowledge where­by [Page 47]they knew the Law, Rom. 1.32. and the naturall conscience whereby they did by nature the things contained in the Law, Rom. 2.14. All this I observe to let you see how zealous God is to keep afoot this work, to teach us that it ought not to be lost, our Lord in his time used it, and convincing preaching will be found to be the lively Ordinance, when all is done.

2. Sometimes he will have men to doe this work, Mans worke when God will have him do it. and then hee conveyes into them his power, and bears a presence with them; thus he was with the Apostles, Peter in a great conversion and con­viction; Paul, and others also; Apollos was a man instructed in the way of the Lord, and he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the Scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ, Act. 18.25, 28. Such ingredients as these goe to the making up of this spirituall medicine, as to convince by answering, to silence by answering, Job 32.12. to convince by reproving, 2 Tim. 3.16. to convince by preaching, Tit. 1.9. to convince by chiding, rebuke them sharpely Tit. 1.13. to convince by correcting with all autho­rity, Tit. 2.15. to convince every way, to convince any way that is lawfull, and by the word warranted. I read of Cicero, that pleading for Ligurius, Mine Authour sayes the bills fell out of Cae­sar's hand, the bills of his accusation, as it were forced by the elo­quence of the pleader; a great power there is in conviction. Naturall and Spiritual thun­der.

Wee learn from all this that hath been said, that men are excee­ding hard to be brought to any thing of God, they must be con­vinced, the naturall thunder is the voice of God, so is the spirituall too, that is exceeding subtle, so is this, it divideth between the marrow and the bones, the naturall thunder breaks a peeces, what resists it onely, so doth the other, it is like fire, and the hammer that breaketh the stony rock asunder.

3. Some men there are, whom of all others, Who ought soonest to be unvailed. I would have con­viction to finde out; namely, the subtill, cunning, crafty ones, such to be silenced, is a great victory, a very great conquest. When the Word of God, the truth of Christ comes off like Stephen, Act. 6.9, 10. The Libertines, and Syrenians, and Alexandrians and those of Cilicia, and Asia, were disputing with Stephen, but they were not able to resist the Spirit, and the wisdome by which he spake, O then the word of God and those which handle it, come off like [Page 48] David from Goliah, with the head of the champion in his hand. The Herodians Court-flatterers, a sycophanticall generation, see how convincingly our Saviour deales with them, Matth. 22.21, 22. Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars, and unto God, the things which are Gods, and they marvelled. We have a like instance Joh. 8.7. He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her, and they that heard it, being convicted, went out one by one. The Gospel is alwayes the power of God unto great things, but never more visibly, so then when we can say with the Apostle, Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the dispu­ter o [...] this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world, 1 Cor. 1.20. As David prayed, so I would we should doe in a time of distresse, that the Ahitophels of our time may be infatuated.

4. Meanes for con­viction. How may a man best convince enemies, such as our Lord here had?

I answer, even as our Lord did, surely that will be found to be the very best way. His direction is the onely infallible one, therein we may abide, therefore observe,

1 1. Our Lord shews his courage in both Preaching and practise, notwithstanding in the presence of his professed adversaries; He taketh all opportunities to do good, by his Doctrine and Miracles, and hereby convinceth them, it shameth them amongst us, who at such a time can bend their tongues like bows, for lies, but are not valiant for the truth, Jer. 9.3.

2 2. Our Lord speaketh home, & to the consciences of his adversaries, makes them witnesse of the truth he speaks against them, so did Sa­muel, 1 Sam. 12.5. and so did Joshuah also, Josh. 34.22. so ought we to doe, and it serves to chide them, who jangle about words to no purpose, the least truth laid home to the conscience would doe more good.

3 3. Our Lord vindicates and defends the truth against oppugners, the truth of the Resurrection, against the Sadduces, and convin­ceth them, Matth. 22. of tribute paying to Caesar, against the He­rodians, and convinceth them; He that bids us be ready to render a reason, shews himself ready on all occasions so to doe; It reproves them that are Nicodemites and Neuters in these sad times, of which sort we have not a few.

[Page 49] 4. Our Lord retorts upon his enemies, their owne arguments, fights with them, with their own weapons, he casts out devils as their children doe, this is that convinceth, if the Master-builders of Israel would observe, it may be there were arguments enough to be found in our adversaries to overthrow both them and their cause, so some have done Popery.

5. When con­vinced and no more. And one word more I have to say to all ye that are the blas­pheming Cavileers of this generation, of you I know there is not a few, If once yee be convinced, and no more, behold the glasse of these men, in which I intreat you look your faces, the glasse I say which Iesus Christ hath opened you to look in.

1 You will fall into extremity of sin. More sin.

If you bee convinced and no more, if you have the flashes falling upon your eyes, and no more, if you taste of the powers of the life to come, and no more, if you weepe for sinne once, and laugh, and to it againe, you will fall into extreames of sinfull courses, your later end will be worse then your beginning, you'le beginne in the Spirit and end in the flesh wofull and everlastingly, so will bee the conditi­on of such a man doubtlesse.

2. You will fall into extremity of judgement, More judgement into extremity of judgement I say, when God makes sinne our punishment for our sinne, and one of our evils to be the reward of another, it was these peoples case, see ver. 30.31. they fall into a scattering where Christ ga­thereth, and from thence the next steppe is into the sinne against the holy Ghost, a blasphemy not to be forgiven.