A COMMISSION FOR AN ASSISE, Granted to the SAINTS.

THe holy Apostle Paul, having, Coherence. in the former Chapter, taxed these Corinthi­ans for their great Negligence, in not-judging that incestuous person, in a case Ecclesiasticall; Now, in this Chapter, he blames them, for their over-much Diligence, in going to Judgement, in a matter civill and politicall. He doth not inveigh against, much lesse utterly abolish (as some fa­naticall Anabaptists dreame) the use of secular Jugdements, which we call going to Law: but onely reprehends the Abuses, which he observed amongst them, in the use of that, [Page 2]which in it selfe (and some cases excepted) might be law­full. Wee know, (to use our Apostles owne words, of another Law, 1. Tim. 1.8. the Law of God) the Law is good, if a man use it lawfully. Which (at once to confute them, and passe along) wee may easily make good, from this very place. For the same Apostle that denies them the use of Law, in regard of some circumstances, allowes it, in regard of others. Hee denyes it in regard of Infidels, Sanctis discep­tatoribus. Beza in locum. allowes it in regard of the Saints, that is, of Christians; as the first verse implyes. But the best thing may be abused; and so is, too oft, the Law it selfe. Yet if the abuse may cry downe the use of a thing, we must pull downe the Sunne out of the Firmament. It is true, Law, and Warre, are much alike: Warre is but a more pub­like kind of Lawing; and Law is but a more private kind of Warring; Ne hoc quidem remedio egerent. Id. in ver. 7. and both of them Remedies of the last Refuge. Yea this we will say more, (if that may please and satisfie our secular Antinomians) that if men were but so wise and ho­nest, as they should be, there would be either none, or little use, either of Souldiers, or Lawyers. If men had but so much Honestie, to doe no wrong, or so much Justice or Charitie, if they doe wrong, to doe right: as on the one side, our Armour might rust in our houses; so on the other, the Courts of Justice might have more Cobwebs than Causes, more Spiders than Clients. But this may not be expected (feare it not, O you champions of Warre, or Advocates of either Law) whiles two bitter rootes grow in the hearts of men, Pride and Selfe-love. The one, whereby they will doe no right; the other, whereby they will take no wrong. The best way therefore, that I know, is to consider, seriously, what are the faults that usually men bring, or rather bring men to those Tribunals, and, as much as we can, to labour every one to redresse them. Our Apostle hath noted some, and the chiefest, to our hands.

Many were their errours in that proceeding: some con­cern the Plaintiffe, Errors in go­ing to Law, in some the Defendant, some the Spectators.

First, 1. The Plain­tiffe, that the Plaintiffe; and what he wants in waight, he hath in number; and they are five.

[Page 3] 1. 1. With a bro­ther. First, in regard of his Adversary; who is noted, not onely generally to be a Corinthian, but to be a Christian: Dare any of you, you Christian Corinthians: and, A brother goeth to Law with a brother, vers. 6. Infidell to goe to Law with Infidell, were not strange. Infidell with Christian was too common. But Christian with Christian, brother with brother, seemes both unnaturall, and (as those times were) unchristian.

2. In regard of the Judge, 2. Before Infi­dels. chosen to decide and umpire their controversies: [...], under the unjust, verse the first: [...], vers. 6. under the Infidels, or unbe­leevers, and not under the Saints. If brother will goe to Law with brother, let them make choice of Christian Judges. For Infidels to be judged by Christians, were per­haps not unfit; But for Christians, to refuse Christians, and to chuse to be judged by Infidels, was foulely Quod eligerent voluntariè Infide­lium judici­um. Aquin. in locum. scandalous. What will the heathens say, when Christians are together by the eares, and Infidels live in unitie?

3. In regard of the Matter: some trifles, of no moment; 3. For Trifles. as in the later end of this second verse, Are you unworthy to judge the least matters? Should men, that I say not Christians, fight, as two Cocks, for a graine of barly? for a Goose in the grasse? or a Pigge in the corne? It is a fault too common, every pettie difference pesters these Tribunals. Gallio should doe well to drive them from the Judgement seate, with that word, I will be no Judge of such matters. Act. 18.15, 16.

4. In regard of the Manner: with a great deale of Impa­tience, and impotent Anger: verse 7. 4. With Impa­tience. Why doe you not ra­ther take wrong? why doe you not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded? where the Apostle prevents a secret ob­jection: They might plead; We doe not thus proceed without a cause; we have been wronged, perhaps very much, and may we not seeke the benefit of the Law, to right our selves? No, sayes the holy Apostle; something should bee hazzarded, yea lost, for peace sake. Christ your master taught you this lesson, If any man will take away thy cloake, Math. 5. let him have thy coate also: Peace is a Jewell, if we knew the [Page 4] worth of it, worth our buying, at a dearer rate than most men will give for it: And besides, S. James hath told us the disposition of all truely godly hearts, The Wisedome which is from above, Jam. 3.17. is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercy, &c. Now verily, there is utterly a fault among you, that you want that Christian Patience, to suffer some wrong, rather than goe to Law.

5. 5. Too preci­pitate. In regard of the Order: Law should be your last Re­fuge, after tryall of all other Meanes in vaine. Amongst the rest, Reference unto your brethren, should be used: If they cannot end it, the Law is open, implead one another. And this was a principall fault amongst them, that so soone as any difference arose, they ranne or sent presently for a Writt to the heathenish Courts, and refused to referre it to the Saints, as the first verse intimates.

Secondly, 2. The Defen­dant, there are other faults that concerne the De­fendant; and what he wants in number, he hath in waight.

1. 1. In doing the wrong. That he did the wrong, and so was the occasion, or cause of all, or most of those errours in the Plaintiffe, verse 8. Nay you doe wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

2. 2. In defen­ding the wrong done. That he Defended the wrong done, by denyall of sa­tisfaction, to doe his brother right; whereupon he was for­ced upon those scandalous and sinfull courses. Nay it may seeme, that he that did the wrong, did not onely defend it, but also turned Plaintiffe, (as we call him that begins a suit) and beganne to sue him first, as the manner of some great ones is; either to vexe him, or make him unable to prose­cute the former wrong, or to make themselves seeme inno­cent; For, attend the Apostles words: Why doe you not ra­ther take wrong? which concernes the Plaintiffe, without all question: yea (but addes the Apostle) you doe wrong, and defraud; which, in all congruitie, must concerne the De­fendant: As if he were both Plaintiffe and De­fendant (a strange mysterie) that is, Plaintiffe in the suite, but Defen­dant of the wrong done, by first complaining. However, there was certainly a fault amongst them, in one, or other, or both; yea, both, no doubt, are too often to blame. There [Page 5]is utterly a fault, that you goe to Law one with another, [...], vers. 7. that there are any causes between you, which need the Judgement and decision of the Law. It is hardly possible to goe to Law, but that the one partie, at least, is faultie.

Thirdly, the Spectators, or by-standers, 3. The Specta­tors; their were not altoge­ther innocent. Two faults there are to be found in them.

1. Their simplicitie or Ignorance, 1. Ignorance. that they were not able to comprimise their brethrens differences, before they went so farre, verse 5. I speake it to your shame, is it so, that there is not a wise man amongst you? no, not one, that is able to judge between his brethren? but a brother goeth to law with a brother? &c. Now verily there is utterly a fault amongst you, even you, that stand and looke on these unkind bickerings, and want skill to quiet them.

2. Their sloath or Negligence, that they were so lazie, 2. Negli­gence. that they would suffer their brethren to goe to Law, and that under Infidels, rather than dis-ease themselves a little, to compose them, being designed by God himselfe to be Judges of the world. These, I take it, are the principall faults the Apostle finds with this proceeding of the Corin­thians; which being amended, Law is, no doubt, lawfull, say Anabaptists what they can to the contrary.

And now we come more neerer to the words. My Text hath reference to all the three; but primarily to the Plain­tiffe; and it is brought in as an argument, to disswade his course, and to disprove his choice. The summe seemes to be thus much: O Corinthians, O Christians, The Summe of the words. you are much to blame, that chuse such incompetent Judges, of your diffe­rences, as Infidels are; Dare any of you, having a matter against another, be judged under the Infidels, and not under the Saints? The expostulation is very quick and sharpe; If you will needs referre your cause to Judgement, in all rea­son, Christians, the Saints, were fitter Judges than they. Why so? why, Doe you not know, that the Saints shall judge the world? As if he should say, If you chuse Infidels, and refuse Christians, you too much honour the one, and dispa­rage [Page 6] the other. You too much honour Infidels in suffering, much more in voluntarily offering your selves to be judged by them, [...]. vers. 7. mino­ratio est: a les­sening or dis­paraging. whom you shall one day judge. You dishonour and disparage Christians, double: First, your selves, in that you make your selves inferiour to those that shall, one day, be judged by you: As for example, Were it a beseeming thing, that the Honourable Judges of Assise, should referre themselves, [...]. Chrys. in locum. in any matter of difference, to be judged by the Prisoners in the Gaole, whom they shall by and by judge? Doe you not know, that the Saints, even you shall judge the world? If then the world shall be judged by you, (as the A­postle argues in the latter part of this verse) is it fit that you should be judged by the world? Secondly, you dispa­rage your fellow Saints, to undervalue them so much, as to thinke Infidels worthy of that honour of Judicature, rather than them, who shall one day judge the world: As if some persons that have businesse at this Assises, should refuse the honourable Bench, and referre themselves to the Prisoners, who must be judged by the Bench. The argument lyes thus, à majore ad minus: If the Saints shall judge the world, then, much more, lesser differences of their brethren, concer­ning things of this life: that's the latter part of this verse. But certainly the Saints shall judge the world, that's the former part of this verse, (for take off the Rhetoricall Inter­rogation, and it is a strong Affirmation) Therefore the Saints are the fittest Judges of Christians lesser differences. You have the Coherence and scope of the words; Now take the Summe of them, considered absolutely in themselves. They are (if I may be bold to borrow your owne termes) A Commission for an Assises, A Commission of Saints: In it granted to the Saints: and con­taine in them two generall parts.

1. The Dignitie it selfe; The Saints shall judge the world; and therein, we may consider three things:

• 1. The Commissioners designed, by the name of Saints.
• 2. The Matter of the Commission, that is, to judge.
• 3. The Latitude, or extent of that Commission, the world. The Saints shall judge the world.

[Page 7] 2. The Certaintie thereof: Doe you not know this? as if he should say, You doe know it, you must know it.

We begin first, with the Dignitie, and therein

1. 1. The Digni­tie; where The Commissioners deputed, The Saints: wherein we have two things to consider, Their Qualitie, Saints; 1. The Com­missioners; both Their Equalitie, all the Saints: the one in the sense and signifi­cation of the word, the other in the Indefinitenesse and Plu­ralitie of the Number: we touch upon both.

1. Their Qualitie, the Saints: The word, [...], 1. Their Qua­litie; Holy For 3. reasons. signifies Holy, which in the largest acception of it, is equivalent to that of Just, or Righteous, as might appeare from other places; and must be so taken here, as the opposition in the former verse doth evidently manifest; For it is not there opposed to profane, but to the unjust, that is to Infidels or unbeleevers, that were generally unjust or unrighteous, as having no true Christian Righteousnesse in them: And as, Righteousnesse in Scripture and other authors, Justitia in sese virtutes conti­net omnes. containes in it, not onely that particular vertue of Justice, but all vertues whatsoever; in a generall notion: So Unrighteousnesse doth not onely signifie that particular vice of Injustice, (from which many heathen Judges were free) but even the want of all the vertues, or the most of them. In the 9. and 10. verses of this Chapter, laid together, the Apostle ex­plaines what he meanes by the unjust, or unrighteous▪ Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherite the King­dome of God? The unrighteous? who are they? marke the next verse: Neither Whoremongers, nor Idolaters, &c. Now then, if unjust signifie all kind of unrighteousnesse; the Saints, or Holy, being thereunto opposed, must like­wise include all righteousnesse. The Summe is, All Gods Commissioners for the heavenly Judicature, must be Saints, holy, harmelesse, innocent, righteous: that's the point. Every man is not fit to be made a Judge on earth; much lesse in heaven: There are three things, we know, that make a compleate Judge on earth, Authoritie, Prudence, Justice or Selfe-Innocence: The first is founded in his Commision; [Page 8] and is without himselfe: The other two are within himselfe, inherent in his person: And if the question be, Which of the two is most requisite for a Judge? I should venture to say the latter, Holinesse or Innocence, for these reasons:

First, 1. To be like God. Justice or Holinesse, makes God himselfe a Com­petent and Compleate Judge of the world: so the Scrip­ture oft resolves it: Shall not the Judge of heaven and earth doe right? Gen. 18.25. sayes Abraham. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousnesse with God? Rom. 3.5. God forbid: for how shall God then judge the world? sayes our Apostle: As if he should say, God himselfe (with reverence bee it spoken) were not a Competent Judge, if that he were not perfectly righteous: The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his workes: Righteousnesse and Holinesse in God, are of equall latitude and extent: Now as God is King of Kings, so he is Judge of Judges, and all his Judges must be like himselfe; Rev. 15.3. Holy as he is Holy; and therefore called King of Saints.

Secondly, 2. To avoid Recriminati­on. to avoid reproach, and Recrimination: If a Judge want Innocence or Holinesse, he is exposed to con­tempt, and shall be upbraided with his owne errours. Thou that teachest another, Rom. 2.21. teachest thou not thy selfe? was spo­ken to one of our coate. Wee may enlarge it: Thou that judgest another, judgest thou not thy selfe? Thou that condemnest a man for stealing, doest thou steale? Thou that abhorrest Symonie, doest thou commit Briberie? &c. As that Pyrate under censure, retorted upon the great Con­querour, What I do by sea, thou doest that and more by land: and, many times, Ibid. vers. 1. Great theeves condemne little ones: Therefore thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for thou that judgest another, condemnest thy selfe, for thou that judgest doest the same things, or some thing as bad.

Thirdly, 3. To prevent Partialitie. to prevent Partialitie: For selfe-guiltinesse commonly makes men partiall, in judging others: Their Conscience holds both tongue and hand, and tells them, they doe but beat themselves, whiles they punish others: [Page 9] We may see it in Judah: Gen. 38. when his daughter in law Tha­mar, was accused for her Incontinencie, how rashly hee censures, Bring her forth, and let her be burned; But when he heard, By the man whose these are, am I with child; the case is altered, Shee is more righteous than I; no fur­ther talke of burning now; unlesse himselfe will be burned with her: Now on earth, it is too evident, that Selfe-iniquitie is the mother of Partialitie: Therefore Jehosha­phat giving charge to his Judges, to doe justly, enforces it from the example of God, whose Judges they are: For (saith he) with the Lord, there is no iniquitie, 2. Chro. 19.6. nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts: As if he should say, If there be Iniquitie in the heart, there will be respect of persons, and taking of gifts, to pervert Justice: Requisite therefore it is, that they who shall be counted worthy, to be Judges in heaven, should be Saints, [...], of [...] privative and [...] terra: men, that are like pure Gold, purified seven times in the fire, purged from the drosse of earthly corruptions; or like pure wine defecated and wracked from the Lees and dregs of carnall affections: Incorruptus, in­adutabilis, con­tra improbos immisericors, in­exorabilis, Ma­jestate aequita­lis, veritatisque terribilis. Au. Gell. li. 14. c. 4. Such as Chrysippus would have all earthly Judges: Incorrupt, unflatterable, unmercifull and inexorable toward wicked men, terrible in the Majestie of equitie and truth. Men free from passion and compassion; that will know neither father nor mother, friend nor bro­ther; as was said of Levi in a like case: For suppose a Judge should meete, at the barre, his child, or brother, &c. and they should intreat, by those neere relations, O my Fa­ther, O my Brother, &c. What heart, not throughly harde­ned, could resist such melting compellations? perhaps it will be thus, at the great day of Judgement; we have a type of it in the Gospell; where our Saviour brings in, (whether by way of Parable, or true Historie) the rich man beholding Abraham afarre off, and Lazarus in his bosome; Hee dare not speake to Lazarus, who was perhaps a stran­ger, and was by him before neglected; but to Abraham he addresses himselfe, with that oylie name of Father; Father Abraham have mercy upon your sonne: But Abraham [Page 10]was now above relations, above compassions, and foolish pittie: Sonne remember, &c. So at that great Day there will be crying, O my father, O my sonne, O my husband, O my brother! But there must be judgement without mer­cy: They, the Judges there, must be as insensible, and in­exorable, as Abraham was; and if not pronounce, yet ap­prove and applaud that dreadfull sentence upon their dearest acquaintance and friends, Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire, &c. What manner of men then ought they to be, that must be Judges of the world, 2. Pet. 3.11. in all Holinesses and Godlinesses (so the Apostles words are) that is in the perfection of Ho­linesse and Godlinesse; 2. Cor. 7.1. perfecting Holinesse in the feare of God, as our Apostle speakes. To conclude this first point; However on earth, favour or affection, briberie or corrupti­on, may sometime make a Judge; as that Romane could say, to his little credite, Act. 22.28. With a great summe of mony, obtained I this office: yet in heaven none but Saints shall judge the world: and that's the first. The second is

2. Their Equalitie; Sancti, in the plurall, and indefi­nitely, the Saints: and I feare not to say, in the words of Psalmist, Psal. 149. Such honour have all his Saints: They are fellow-Commissioners; If I mistake not, all our Judges are so; and so are all our Justices at the Quarter Sessions; one Commission includes them all: There are indeed distinct altitudes, in respect of their personall titles, and degrees, but no different latitudes, in respect of their Commission; therein they are all equall. Heaven observes the same pro­portion: One starre differs from another in glory, not in na­ture. The least is as true a starre, as those of the greatest magnitude: One Saint differs from another, perhaps, in personall glory in heaven, as in personall grace on earth; but the meanest, the lowest, is as truely a Saint, as the grea­test, and as truly a Commissioner and Judge of the world. There may and must be difference of order and prioritie, to avoid confusion, but no disparitie of dignitie in this heaven­ly Judicature. Math. 19.28. Our Saviour tels his disciples so: You shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Jsrael. [Page 11]They have all thrones, all sit, all judge; Matthias the last, as well as Peter the first. What? onely the twelve Apo­stles? shall none sit upon thrones and judge but they? what shall then become of Paul, and other Saints? He that made the question, can best resolve it, S. Augustine. Wee ought not to thinke (saith he) that onely those twelve men shall judge with Christ. For by that number, De Civit. Dei, lib. 20.6.5. is signified the whole multitude of Judges. Otherwise the Apostle Paul, who laboured more than all of them, shall want a roome to sit on; who yet demonstrates, that himselfe with other Saints, doe belong to that number, when he saith, Doe you not know that the Saints shall judge the world? and againe in the next verse, Know you not that we shall judge Angels? The Ca­tholike Schoolmen (falsly so called) some of them are here not Catholike enough; Aquin. in lo­cum. They restraine this Dignitie onely to the Apostles, and such as have followed them; by professi­on of vowed povertie, to the honour of their recluses and Monasticall superstition. Their colour is slight, and vani­shing: because (forsooth) our Saviour answering Peters question, Master we have forsaken all, &c. what shall wee have? saies, You shall sit upon twelve thrones, and judge. But the Apostle Paul, who had the mind of Christ, and the Spirit of God, and had beene once in heaven, hath enlarged the Commission to all Saints, [...]. ver. 4. even to these poore Corinthi­ans, the most despised, and least esteemed among them: And therefore it is observable how he varies the person, and makes use of all the persons in the plurall number; We, you, they. Not onely, Wee shall judge the Angels, Vers. 3. [...] which might be applyed to the Apostles, and no other; nor onely, You shall judge the world, or, The world shall be judged by you, which might exclude others, besides the Corinthians; but, The Saints shall judge the world, in the words of our Text: Wee shall judge, you shall judge, all Saints shall judge the world. But S. Jude shall put it out of all question, by the ancient Testimony of Enoch, the seventh from Adam: Be­hold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints, Jud. vers. 14. to exe­cute Judgement upon all the ungodly, &c. which Daniel [Page 12]reckons to be thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, even all his Saints. Even to the least of all Gods Saints, is this honour given; how poorely, how basely soever esteemed of in this world, he shall be in Commission to judge the world: Heb. 11. They went about, some of them, in sheepe-skinnes and Goat-skinnes, (not like Judges in skar­let) and yet, of them the world was not worthy, though they are accounted worthy to judge the world. The Romanes fetcht some from the plough, to the Dictatorship: Pharaoh tooke Joseph out of prison, to bee the second in Egypt: David was sent for, from the Sheepfolds, to bee annointed with Regall oile; Psal. 78.71, 72. As hee was following the Ewes (good Shepheard) he tooke him, that hee might feed Jacob his peo­ple, and Israel his inheritance. This is sure▪ God fetches his Saints farther, even from the lowest earth, to the highest heavens. Psal. 113.6. Hee raiseth up the poore out of the dust, and lifteth up the needie out of the dung-hill; That he may set him with Princes, even with the Princes of his people; Such honour have all his Saints: and now I have done with the first part, of the three named, and passe on to the second.

2. 2. The Matter of the Com­mission; To judge: wherein The Commission granted, or Matter of the Commis­sion, The Saints shall judge. There are, by Kings, severall Commissions granted, not all alike honourable; Some, for inquirie upon lands; some, for charitable uses; some, for matters of Nisi prius, as you call them; and perhaps many more, which I know not, nor much care to learne. That is the most eminent, which you call, A Commission of Oyer and Terminer, which passes upon life and death; because it concernes that which is most deere and precious in man, his Life. Gods preferments are ever like himselfe, most graci­ous, most glorious, to the best and highest employments. If there be any Commission weightier, either in honour, or execution, that shall be conferred upon his Saints: Doe you not know, that the Saints shall judge? and that with the Judgement of Condemnation? For explication of it, two things are to bee enquired; first, the Truth, and then the Time; the one in the sense of the word, judge; the other [Page 13] in the Tense of the Verbe, shall judge: wee follow both.

1. First, the Truth of this Grant may well be scrupled; 1. The Truth of it; by a distinction. How the Saints can be said to judge; seeing first, wee have God himselfe, (as well he may) taking this honour to him­selfe, God is Judge himselfe, Psal. 50.6. Secondly, granting a generall and universall Commission to his Sonne, The Father hath committed all Judgement to the Sonne, even as, or because he is the sonne of man, Joh. 5.22 And thirdly, we have the Sonne discharging all from this Imployment, Judge not, that you be not judged, Math. 7.1. And yet here S. Paul tels us of a Commission of Judgement, granted to the Saints. For reconciliation of this, we must distinguish of Judgement, and Judges.

1. Of Judgement, which, for kind or manner, 1. Of Judge­ment, which is is mani­fold; as may appeare in these particulars.

1. There is Judicium Authoritatis: 1. Authoritatis. the Judgement of Authoritie; which resides in the King, as the roote and fountaine; and thus there is one onely Judge of the world, as one Lawgiver, God is judge himselfe.

2. Judicium Declarationis, by way of Declaration; 2. Declarationis. and thus the booke of the Lawes and Statutes may bee said to Judge, because they declare who, and how men are to be judged. And indeed, it is the Law that judges, not the Judge; hee doth but pronounce the Judgement of the Law. So said they of old, Wee have a Law, Jus dicere, non jus dare. and by our Law he ought to die. Doth our Law condemne a man, be­fore it heare him speake? said another. And thus, the Word of God, the booke of the Law, is said to judge; The Word that I have spoken, shall judge you at the last day; Joh. 12.48. said our Saviour.

3. Judicium Prolationis, by way of Pronunciation, 3. Prolationis. or passing of the Sentence: and this is done by the Judge alone, as our experience tels us. And in this sense, Christ, as man, shall judge alone; All judgement is committed un­to him; and hee shall pronounce that dreadfull sentence, Goe you cursed, &c. passing the finall doome upon the world.

[Page 14] 4. 4. Compara­tionis. Judicium Comparationis; by way of Comparison, and thus not onely the Saints, but one wicked man, shall judge and condemne another. [...]. Chrys. in locum. So our Saviour tels some; Tyre and Sydon shall rise in judgement with this generati­on, and condemne it. And thus the Saints, not onely shall, but doe even now, judge the world. Their lives are [...], a living Law; their examples of Holinesse, in the same temptations with other men, shall rise up and con­demne the world, that followed not their patternes, in the same allowance of meanes.

5. 5. Approbationis Assessionis, & Approbationis (for I joyne them both together) by way of Assession, and Approbation; as the Justices upon the Bench, doe sit together with the Judge, and approve his Judgement. And thus, especially, all the Saints shall judge the world; They shall sit upon Seats or Thrones, and approve, yea applaud the Sentence. The righteous shall rejoyce, when he sees the vengeance, &c.

2. 2. Of Judges. Of Judges, we may also distinguish; whereof there are severall kinds, in a well settled state.

1. 1. The King. The King is the supreme Judge of all, within his owne Dominions, and God is Judge of all the world, by way of Authority.

2. 2. The Lord Chancellour. The Lord Chancellour is a generall deputed Judge, by Delegation from the King; the King himselfe judgeth no man: so Christ, made the Great Lord Chancellour, or Lord Chiefe Justice of all the world, The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgement to the Sonne.

3. 3. The twelve Judges, so called. The twelve Judges are for their private Courts, or particular Circuits: and thus we may (perhaps) grant, the twelve Apostles, by speciall Priviledge, shal judge the twelve Tribes of Israel.

4. 4. The Justices All the Justices at their Quarter Sessions are joynt-Commissioners; And thus againe the Saints, even all the Saints shall judge, in manner aforesaid.

I conclude this point, with that of S. Peter, with a little alteration: 2. Pet. 3.11, 12 Seeing these things are thus, what manner of persons ought they to be, in all manner of holy Conversation [Page 15] and Godlinesse, looking for, and hasting unto the comming of the Day of the Lord, when the Saints shall judge the world: For the Time is not yet, but shall shortly come, when the Saints shall judge; And that's the second thing observed.

2. The Time, or Date of this Commission; It is not, 2. The Time: prorogued for two reasons: doe judge, for that is expressely forbidden, Judge not, &c. but [...], shall judge. It beares not date till the Great Day of Assises, at the end of the world. It was the speech of him, who is Lord of the Saints, yea King of Saints, when he was in this world, I came not to judge the world, Joh. 12.47. but to save it. It is enough for the Saints to be like their Lord and Master; Hee came not to judge, but to be judged; but he ascended into heaven, &c. and from thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead, saies our Creed. God hath appointed a Day, wherein hee will judge the world, Act. 17.31. by that Man, whom hee hath appointed. Hee shall come openly among the Just, Veniet manife­stè inter justos, judicaturus &c. to judge justly, who came secretly to bee judged by the Unjust, unjustly. Hee shall sit as Judge, who stood before a Judge: Hee shall condemne the truly guil­tie, who was falsly accounted guiltie; as elegantly S. Au­gustine. Even as hee was, so are his Saints in this world. They judge no man, their houre is not yet come; They are judged of all men, sor this is the houre and day of the worlds Judgement. As theeves and malefactors, in the Gaole, doe sometimes, in mockerie, represent the passages of an Assises; and there cite, arraigne, accuse, condemne their Judges: So deale wicked men with Gods Saints, in this world. But the Day of Assises will come, when the Judges shall in earnest condemne those malefactors, who thus sported themselves with their owne destruction. The Saints shall judge, but not yet: And there are good reasons of this Prorogation.

1. Their Ignorance, and want of experience. There are many difficult and perplexed cases, 1. Their Igno­rance. which, what by reason of the subtiltie of wicked men, and what by the secrecie of the intentions of mens hearts, they are not able to deter­mine, [Page 16] without danger of Errour: It was an intricate busi­nesse propounded to young Salomon, that of the two har­lots, to find out the true mother of the childe, when no evi­dence could appeare on either side: And therefore it is said, The Wisdome of God was in him to doe Justice. 1. King. 3.28. I have read of a case sometime propounded to the Areopagites, Judges amongst the Athenians, Au. Gell. Noct. Allic. l. 12. c. 7. which, because they could not well assoile, they wisely commanded the parties to come againe an hundred yeare after, and they would doe them Justice: By that time, they thought, either they, the Judges, or the parties would be dead. To this purpose, may that of the A­postle fitly be applyed; 1. Cor. 4.5. Judge nothing before the time, un­till the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkenesse, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.

2. 2. Impotence of Affections. Their Impotence, in regard of their Affections; too subject to passion and compassion: Feare, love, hatred, foo­lish pittie &c. are able to corrupt the best Judgement. Our friends may perswade us, our enemies may provoke us; the one to bee too favourable, the other to bee too harsh and cruell: I have read another storie fitting to this purpose: In China, Joh. Hughen. Hist. Ind. a part of the Indies, no man may rule, or beare any office of Justice in the Towne, or place, where he was borne; lest his parents, or other friends, should worke him to give sentence of Judgement, contrary to the rules of equitie. And, I take it, it is the Custome of this our Nation, that no Judge rides Circuit into that country where himselfe dwels, per­haps, for the very same reason. However, this wee know: This world is the home-towne of our Nativitie; wee live here among our friends, and among our enemies, who are many times, (too oft, God knowes) the snares of Justice: therefore, our God thinkes it fit to remove us from our Na­tive soile, before hee imploy us in that state-businesse of Judgement. I conclude it, Let the censorious world spend it selfe in judging and condemning of the Saints; it is but mans Day, [...]. Cor. 4.3. as the Apostle cals it, but mans judgement, that may, and must be repealed; There will come the Day of [Page 17] the Lord, as the day of Judgement is called; 2. Pet. 3.10. yea the Day of the Saints will come; and then the course of things shall be cleane altered. The World now judges the Saints, then the Saints shall judge the World; and that is the next, and last part.

The Extent or latitude of the Commission, the World. As Kings Commissions differ in their subject matter, 3. The Extent of the Com­mission. The World, of so also in their Extent; some are for one Towne or Citie; some for one or more Counties, the largest is but for their King­dome. It is said of Samuel, 1. Sam. 7.16. 2. Chron. 19.5. That he went from yeere to yeere in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. But afterwards this was divided amongst many Judges, as wee may see in the time of Jeho­shaphat: Yet, what if a mans Commission reached over the whole Kingdome; what is that to the whole World, but a mole-hill to a mountaine? If further (which never yet was granted to one man) over the whole World, for one generati­on, what is that to the innumerable generations past and to come? which yet are all subject to the Judgement of the Saints. Know you not that the Saints shall judge the world? The World hath diverse acceptions in Scriptures; Here it is taken for the worser part, the wicked men of the world, the unjust, in the 1. verse, the Infidels in the 6. verse, 1. Wicked men as opposed to the Saints: not excluding, but rather including the wic­ked Angels, that is, the Divels; 2. Wicked An­gels, for three reasons. for so the Apostle addes in the next verse, Know you not, that we shall judge Angels? The argument rises by way of gradation, The Saints may well bee allowed to judge your lesser matters of this life; for in the life to come, they shall judge the world of wicked men, nay more, they shall judge the wicked Angels. Such honour have all Gods Saints. Not to stand long: why might not Christ himselfe alone judge them, and no more adoe? why shall the Saints judge both men and Angels? For three reasons:

1. To the greater torment and vexation of wicked men, 1. Vexation of Enemies. and Divels, when they shall see those very men, whom they scorned, oppressed, persecuted, to bee now advanced, not on­ly [Page 18] to Glory, but to bee their Judges. Those Angels, who sometime disdained to be servants unto man, Dolet Diabolus, quod ipsum & Angelos ejus, Christi s [...]r [...]us ille peccator, judicaturus est. Tertull de poe­uit. c. 7. (as some think) that tempted, seduced, vexed man, shall now, to their further torment, see them gloriously advanced to be their Judges. Those wicked men, who said, as they to Lot, with much disdaine; Hee came in as a stranger, and shall hee rule us? shall be moved, not more with griefe, than torment of in­dignation, to see them thus exalted over them; and that so much more, as they did more esteeme them base and inferi­our: To find themselves delivered over into the hands of their enemies, to be judged, of whom they can expect no mercy, what horrour must it needes breed in them? As if, when some Noble man or judge, had wronged some poore and meane man, the King should deliver him over into the power of that man, to take his owne revenge: As Abraham did Hagar, to Sarah; and Josuah those heathen Kings to every common souldier, to set his feet upon their neckes: God shall tread Satan under your feete shortly; is promised to the Saints. To this purpose is that of the Psalmist, spea­king of the great advancement of the righteous, The un­godly shall see this, Psal. 112.10. and be grieved, hee shall gnash with his teeth (for indignation) and melt away. So our Saviour tels those auditors of his, There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Luc. 13.27, 28. when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdome of heaven, and your selves thrust out. Hell it selfe should not bee perfect Hell, if the wicked should not know, and see the Saints, whom they have abused, to bee thus glorious.

2. 2. Their owne Security. For their owne greater Assurance & Securitie; They shall not onely see a just retribution upon their enemies, men and divels, but have their owne voice, and hand in the excecution of it. They shall not neede to feare any more the persecutions of wicked men, or the wea­rying solicitations of wicked Angels; All their enemies shall be destroyed, and for their greater Securitie, When the ungodly shall perish, Psal. 91.8. they shall see it with their eyes, and help [Page 19] to act it with their owne hand. There shall bee a mutuall view of each other, in heaven, and hell: When the righte­ous are exalted, the ungodly shall see it: Dives as well sees Lazarus in Abrahams bosome, Luc. 16. as Lazarus sees Dives in hell: and a gulfe is set between, that they can never come neere one another, either to comfort, or hurt one another any more.

3. For their greater Joy: 3. Their grea­ter Joy. Wee use to take wonderfull contentment and pleasure in the misery and destruction of those, whom we esteeme our enemies (though Prov. 24.17, 18. sinfully some­times, I confesse, on earth) much more, if we may have liber­ty to revenge ourselves upon them. Psal. 58.10 The righteous shall re­joyce, when he seeth the vengeance, hee shall wash his foote­steps in the blood of the ungodly, saies the Psalmist: and that without any the least sinne, in heaven; where God himselfe shall laugh and mocke at the just condemnation of wicked and ungodly men. Prov. 1. I conclude all this first part with that speech of the sweet Singer of Israel, which, I thinke, was spoken by way of prophesie, of this very Day of the Saints Judgement. Let the Saints be joyfull in Glory, Psa. 149.5.&c. let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God bee in their mouthes, and a two edged sword in their hands: To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people: To bind their Kings in chaines, and their Prin­ces in fetters of Iron: To execute upon them the vengeance, as it is written, Such honour have all his Saints. Doe you not know, that the Saints shall judge the world?

And now we are come to the second Generall part of the Text, the Certaintie of this Dignitie of the Saints: 2. Part. The Certaintie: with Doe you not know it? It fares with Gods Saints here, as with mens heires in their Minoritie: Though they be Lords of all, yet many yeeres passe, before they know their inheritance, or the Priviledges and honours thereof. God hath provided more for his Saints than they do know, than they can know: But yet, this they doe know, or may know, or must know, that the Saints, even they themselves shall judge the world.

The Rhetorick shewes the Divinitie; the Interrogation ne­gative makes it strongly affirmative: You may know it, you doe know it, you must know it; for it is most usefull and necessary that all know it. The Applica­tion. And so I will now make the Ap­plication of all that hath been spoken in the former) part by way of Explication; which, of purpose, I have reserved for the Conclusion. It is therefore very profitable for all parts, that it should be knowne. Some things concerne the World, some the Saints, some both.

1. 1. To the world a double lesson The World (we begin with them) Let all wicked men know it, if they know it not already, that the Saints, whom they now scorn & wrong shall one day be their Judges. Then

1. 1. Not to sinne before them Let them take heed how they sinne before the Saints. They shall be their Judges, and dare they make them their witnesses? That were a bold theefe, that durst cut a purse in the face and view of the Judge. A good consideration, if men were not past wit, as well as grace, to restraine the im­pudent loosenesse of profane men. If they feare not God, whom they see not, and therefore beleeve not that hee sees them; yet let them reverence men, who see them, and whom they see. The presence of some grave Senator hath this pow­er, Si fortè quom c [...]sp [...]x [...] ­re gra [...]em, &c. Virg. in a tumultuous multitude: when those outrageous Citi­zens saw the cheife Captaine, they left beating of Paul. Sanctitie should make Impuritie blush, if it were not growne bloodlesse. Act. 21.32. Herod feared John Baptist, because hee was a Saint, a just man; what if he had known he should one day be his Judge? When Paul was but reasoning of Righteous­nesse, Act. 24. Temperance, and the Judgement to come, Felix trem­bled: yet little did he thinke his Judge was so nigh. They are worse than Herod or Felix, who neither feare nor trem­ble to sinne before the Saints, who yet would be thought to know and beleeve this Scripture, That the Saints shall judge the world.

2. 2. Not to wrong them. Let them at least take heed, how they wrong and abuse the Saints. The Saints shall be their Judges, and dare they make them also their Accusers? He reproved even Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine annointed, and do my Pro­phets [Page 21] no harme. Were not that malefactor mad or desperate, that should way-lay his Judge, and offer him injury, in words or deeds, as he was comming to the Assises, or going towards the Judgement seat? what hope had he of any favour? Dives durst not speak a word to Lazarus (as we noted afore) whom he had but neglected, but intreats his Father Abraham for mercy. Heare it, all wicked oppressors, slanderers, persecu­tors of Gods Saints; you had as good, nay better, abuse one of his Majesties Judges, as wrong any, the poorest, the mea­nest of Gods Saints. You have abused a Judge, yea your own Judge: Take it for good counsell, If you wil not be good your selves, yet hurt not those that are good: Hurt them not? yea make them your friends (as men doe the Judges) by your unrighteous Mammon, and all the wayes you can, that they may speake a good word for you upon the Bench, at that grand Assises, when a friend in the Court will be worth more than all the mony in your purses. At least, I say, wrong them not, for certainly they must be your Judges. Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him lest thy adversary deliver thee to the Judge, is whol­some Counsell: I say more, lest thy Adversary prove to bee thy Judge. For now you doe know, that the Saints shall judge the world. And so much for the World.

2. The Saints: Let them take notice of this certaine truth, 2. To the Saints a ground this excellent priviledge; That they shall judge the world. It serves

1. For a ground, 1. Of Patience not onely of Comfort against those hard pressures, and great dejection, whereunto they are subjected in this world, but also of Patience, in the Censures and judge­ments of the world: as they that know their turne and time of Judgement is comming. See how confidently the Apo­stle contemnes the censures of men; 1. Cor. 4.3. [...]. With me it is a small matter, that I should be judged of you, or of mans judgement, mans Day, as the originall hath it. Let the same mind bee in you, that was in Christ Jesus, &c. Phil. 2.5.&c. who humbled himselfe to the death, even the death of the Crosse: not onely to bee judged, but to die. Or as the Apostle S. Peter expresses it; [Page 22] Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps, &c. 2. Pet. 2.21. He suffered himselfe to be censured, revi­led, mocked, crucified; but he shall come to judge both quick and dead: Col. 3.4. When Christ, which is our life shall appeare, then shall you also appeare with him in glory, sayes our Apostle. Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints, to execute Judgement, saies S. Jude: Be patient (and comfor­table) Jam. 5.7.&c. therefore brethren (they are S. James his words) Be­hold the Judge stands before the doore.

2. 2. Of absti­nence from their company. For a Caveat against the Company of the wicked world; The Saints shall be their Judges, and doe they now make their companions? Have no fellowship with the unfruit­full workes of darknesse, but reprove them rather: How? by abstaining from their companie, which is a reall reproofe, and a previous condemnation; Praejudicium aeterni judicii, as that Father in a like case, the praejudgement, of that eternall Judgement. How oft are they called upon for this? What fellowship hath light with darknesse? Quod est com­mercium dam­naturis cum damnandis? Tertull. God with Belial? &c. what Commerce or societie have Judges that must condemne, with malefactors, who are to be condemned, askes Tertullian. Know your selves (O you who professe your selves Saints) know your worth and dignitie, with God: He purposes to make you his Judges of the world, and doe you make your selves equall to the world? Come out from among them, and touch no uncleane thing: Avoid their company, abandon their fellowship, as well as their fashions: Be not partakers of their sinnes, by too intire communion with them, lest you be par­takers of their punishments. For (so addes Tertullian) unlesse we now praejudge and praecondemne in them those things, for which we shall then judge and condemne them, certainly they shall judge and condemne us. Let the Saints consider it.

3. 3. Of Peace-making, both For a strong argument and motive to Peace-making on all hands: And this is indeed the principall scope of the A­postle; where it is worth the while to consider, the admira­ble Wisdome of the Apostle, in making one argument inferre a double conclusion; One in regard of the parties at variance, the other in regard of the Spectators that suffered them to [Page 23]goe to Law: For marke the words. In the first verse he gives a sharpe increpation to the parties going to Law, Dare any of you, (either plaintiffe or defendant) having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, & not before the Saints? Why not? might some man say. Why, doe you not know, the Saints shall judge the world? how much more, lesser ma­tters: But then, lest those that were beholders should applaud themselves as innocent, marke how he changes the words, in the latter part of the verse, If then the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? which cannot, in any reasonable construction, bee referred to the parties at variance, (it being utterly unfit, that men should be their owne Judges) therefore hee secretly taxes them that were the by-standers, for not interrupting their proceedings, by a wise and timely arbitrement; upon the same ground still, Doe you not know that the Saints, even you, shall judge the world? we will apply it severally, first to the par­ties, then to the Spectators.

1. To the parties litigant, or contending, 1. To the par­ties at vari­ance. whether plaintiffe or defendant, it matters not. The Apostle would have nei­ther of them goe to law, at least before or under unbeleevers. Nay hee would have neither of them goe to law at all (as S. Chrysostome observes not amisse) if the matter might, by any faire meanes, be ended by the Saints. For he doth princi­pally blame them, not so much for going to Law before Infi­dels, as for not referring, their matters to a private decision; He doth not oppose Christian Tribunals, to the Tribunals of Infidels, but publick lawing to private determination. My reasons are; First, there were no Christian Magistrates, in those times of the Church, but all Heathenish, and therefore he could not referre them, to such as were not. Secondly, the word [...], or [...], doth not onely signifie a publick Sen­tence, but oftentimes a private censure, Vide Bezam in locum. as many instances would confirme, if we could stand upon it. To the point then: The parties at variance must not goe to Law, till their bre­thren cannot end it. They must first referre it to their fellow Saints. This the Apostle urges upon them, by this argument, [Page 24] Doe you not know, &c. as if he should say, Are the Saints so highly honored by God, to be made Judges of the world, and doe you think them unworthy to compose your lesser diffe­rences? There is therefore utterly a fault amongst you, that you thus disparage the Commissioners of heaven, the Saints; and expose not your selves only, but your profession also, and the Professors of the Gospell, to the scorn and derision of the Infidels. For what will the heathen say? See how injurious, how malicious, how contentious these Christians are! See how simple and ignorant they are! Not a man amongst them that hath so much judgement or wisdome, as to determine the least difference that arises, but they must come to us for Judgement. We cannot, in our land (blessed be God) make that difference of Infidell and Christian: but yet we have a distinction parallel to that, of Papists & Protestants; Atheists and truly Religious. And this were argument sufficient to a good heart, not to bring his differences into the publike eye of the world, till he had tryed all other meanes in vaine. For what will Papists say? as of our Church differences, they doe say, These are your Protestants; ut se invicem diligunt! See how they love, or rather hate and prosecute one another! What will Atheists and profane persons say? These are your Professours, these are those that would be called Saints, (as in the text) see how they fight, and warre, and devoure one another! See how simple and weake they are, that not a wise man amongst them, to judge betweene his brethren! Why then, O why should Christians so disparage one another, to thinke them unable or unworthy to judge their lesser mat­ters, who are so farre honored by God, to be Judges of the world: and perhaps, when all is done, the businesse fals into the hands of some, who are neither wise nor honest; who are of the world, and must one day be judged by the Saints? Let not, O let not then either Papists or Atheists, I say not, bee Judges, but nor Spectators nor Witnesses of these unkind and unchristian quarrels. Referre them, referre them to your bre­thren, and smoother them in the first smoking. Doe you not, both parties, know that the Saints shall judge the world?

[Page 25] 2. To the Spectators: 2. To the Spe­ctators. The Apostle would have them both wise and willing, to undertake, if not the prevention, yet the speedie conclusion of such differences, betweene their bre­thren. And the argument is as strong for them: Doe you not know, &c. If then the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Truly, my brethren, the disshonour is greater, than you are aware of. If you bee willing but unable, it is your shame: I speake it to your shame, (sayes our Apostle) Is it so, that there is not a wise man a­mongst you, no not one, that is able to judge between his bro­ther? but a brother goes to Law with a brother? If you be able, but unwilling, it is your blame, even want of a great deale of Pietie to God, and Charitie to your brethren. How can you think your selves able or worthy (willing I know you will be) to judge the world, that want either skill or will, to judge between your brethren? Be admonished then (I speake it▪ I hope, in a good time, to prevent many publike differen­ces hereafter, though I expect no Fee for my Counsell) bee admonished, I say, every man, to spend some time, some la­bour, some paines, to repaire the first breaches of your bre­threns peace. Intreat them, beseech them, adjure them, for their owne sake, for peace sake, for Religions sake, for Gods sake, to yeeld to a private determination. I conclude it: If peace be had, keepe it; if it be broken, every one, Plaintiffe, Defendant, Spectators, labour to repaire it. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. That for the Saints.

3. To both, Saints and world, as being mixt together; 3. To both the Saints and world: and we have two things to propound unto them:

1. Moderation of their censures, in judging one another; How often, how earnestly, are we called upon, to this purpose? 1. Not to judge one another. Judge not, that you be not judged, sayes our Lord & Master. Math. 7.1. Judge nothing before the time, saies S. Paul. What expostu­lations the same Apostle makes for excesse in this particular? Who art thou, that judgest another mans servant? Rom. 14.4.10. Why dost thou judge thy brother? and why doest thou set at naught thy brother? why dost thou vilifie, or as Tertullian expresses the [Page 26]sense of that word, [...], why dost thou Nullifie thy brother? Yet as if the day of Judgement were come already, we are all Judges one of another. It is a world of wonder to see, how the world is made one common Tribunal, where every man ascends the Throne, or place of Judgement, and there arraignes, accuses, and condemnes his brother. At least we keepe our turnes. Now we judge others; then others get up and judge us, as if we were all Judges, and all delinquents. Amongst our selves, we may divide all into two Classes, Pro­fane and Religious, but both agree, or rather, disagree in Judgement. The loose and Profane persons judge all men, more stricter, and preciser then themselves, mad, foolish, sim­ple, superstitious, in a word (the worst they can say) hypocrites. On the other side, those that are strictly, & would be thought truly Religious, discharge as fast at them; Papists, Atheists, profane, wicked; yea (which I tremble to thinke on) Repro­bates. Good Lord, whither will our indiscreet zeale, and im­petuous rashnesse carry us. O men and brethren forbeare, forbeare: who made you Judges in this world? when thy Saviour would not be a Judge in a case of Nisi prius, to di­vide an Inheritance, but refused it, upon this very reason, Man, Luc. 12.14. who made me a Judge or a divider betwixt you; how darest thou be so bold, as to judge of life and death, and that eternall, of the soule? Suppose you shall be Judges of the world, yet not in this World. Will you anticipate, and anti­date your Commission? Wicked men are meere usurpers; they are to be judged, not to judge at all. The Saints, are too precipitate, to start up into the Judgement seat, (as Absalom into his Fathers Throne before his death) before the Time. I say to both, Judge not now, that you be not judged for your labour. Jam. 4.11. Speake not evill one of another, brethren; he that speaketh evill of his brother and judgeth his brother, spea­keth evil of the Law, and judgeth the Law: but if thou judge or condemne the Law, thou art not a doer of the Law, but a Judge: they are S. James his words, and not mine: S. Paul shall close up this point: Judge nothing before the time, till the Lord come; till the day of Judgement.

[Page 27] 2. A strong enforcement for Holinesse, 2. To studie Holinesse. that thus qualifies a man to make him a Judge of the world. The Apostle shall speake what I intend, fully to my foregoing discourse, Heb. 12.14. Follow peace with all men, (heare it Plaintiffe, Defendant, and Spe­ctators) and Holinesse, (heare it all men) without which no man shall see the Lord: without which, no man shall ever be a Judge in heaven, what ever he be on earth. Labour above all things for Holinesse, they that want it, to procure it; they that have it, to increase it; Doe you not now know, that the Saints, that is the Holy Ones, and they onely, shall judge the world? O you Sonnes of men, how long will you have such pleasure in vanity, and seeke after lyes? Know you that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe the man that is godly, the man that is holy, to make a Judge of in heaven: How long, O you profane ones, you scoffers and deriders of Holinesse, will you despise and scorne that which must bee your Judge? Kings chuse Judges chiefly for their knowledge and experience; God chuses his by conscience and Holinesse. If these two must be severed, God sayes, Let me have the man that hath more Conscience, and lesse Science; rather than him, that hath all Science and no Conscience: Come then, my brethren, come to the Innes of Court, these Courts of Gods houses, and study Holinesse, more than knowledge, that you may be accounted worthy, to be made Judges of the world. Knowledge with­out Holinesse may make a man a Judge indeed, but not of the world, but of Himselfe: Such a man, is [...] selfe-judged, selfe-condemned, to save the Judges a labour. Holi­nesse is the very Seale of our Commission; or at least the Po­sie written round about it, Holinesse to the Lord: [...]. Chrys. in 2. Tim. 2.19. as the Pro­phet in a like case, Zech. 14.20. The Apostle tels us so: The foundation of God stands sure, and hath this seale, The Lord knoweth who are his: but that is the privie Seale. The broad Seale is that which followes, Let every one that cals upon the Name of the Lord, depart from iniquitie; that is, Let him be Holy. If any man pretend a Commission for this Judicature, and it want this Inscription, it is a counterfeit, and meerely forged. This Holines is the thing which God esteemes above [Page 28]all things in his Judges; and which, above all things, as we said at first, makes God himselfe a competent Judge of the world. And thus he requires and expects his Judges should be qualified withall, above all his other Attributes: not that they should be like him, in Power, Wisdome, &c. But in Holi­nesse Be you Holy, 1. Cor. 1.26.&c. as I am Holy: Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Nay, (if we may, as we may, beleeve S. Paul) Not many wise, not many noble, not many mightie, are called out to this preferment: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise: and the weake things of the world, [...]. vers. 4. here. to confound the things that are mightie: and base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen to make his Judges of. Covet you the best thing then, and that is Holinesse. Let others scoffe at Holinesse: Let others be Ambitious for honour, for knowledge, for wealth, for pleasure: but, if you will heare my Counsell and advice, be you covetous, ambitious, zealous for Holinesse. One grain of true Holinesse shall advance you higher with God, in hea­ven, than a whole world of greatnesse without it. When I have prayed for you in the Apostles words, I shall have done, and be no further tedious: Now the very God of peace, san­ctifie you throughout, 2. Thes. 5.23. and I pray God, that your whole Spi­rits, Soules and bodies, may be kept blamelesse, till the com­ming of our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, till the Day of Judge­ment, the great and grand Assises, and then you shall see the difference between the Righteous and the Wicked, Mal. 3. between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not; between the Holy and profane; Then shall it be manifest to all the world, that the Saints, and the Saints onely, shall judge the world. Now to the King of Saints, the Holy, Holy, Holy God, be ascribed of us, and of all his Saints, as is most due, all Holi­nesse and honour, all might and Majesty, all Power and Glo­ry, from henceforth and for ever.

Amen.

'ΕΠΙΧΑΙΡΕΚΑΚΙΑ. OR, A CLOSE HYPOCRITE DISCOVERED.

IT matters not so much sometimes what, 1. The Cohe­rence. as with what mind men speake. When Judas said, concer­ning the ointment powred upon our Saviours head, What meanes all this waste? John 12.5, 5. This ointment might have been sold, and given to the poore; the words were seemingly very charitable, but the mind was nothing lesse, in the judgement of the E­vangelist, who knew him better then we: This he spake, [Page 29]not because he cared for the poore, but because he was a theefe. The very like to this, is observable in this present speech of the Pharisee: For who, that lookes at the words mu­teriall, without respect to the mind and intention of him that spake it, would not take him, not onely for a good and honest, but also for a very pious & devout man; who is [...] so thankfull, and 2. thankfull for such a mercy, as few men take notice of, or acknowldege any favour, viz. that hee is not so bad as other men? Many indeed (being more sensible of corporall, then spirituall mercies) seem thankfull that they are not so miserable, sick, poore, and as other men; But few, beside this Pharisee (or those that are truly godly) give thankes to God, they are not so bad or sinfull as other men. But he that knew the heart, better then wee the words, hath discovered that which we durst not have censured, that this so glorious-seeming a sentence proceeded from a deep and grosse hypocrisie▪ For both the Evangelist, in his preface to the Parable, hath told us, that his alme and end was naught; partly to justifie himselfe and partly to vilifie others, with proud scorning and despising of them; He spake this Parable to certaine that trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others: And also our blessed Saviour, the Pa­rable maker, hath informed us of the issue (no doubt an­swerable to his intention) that God rejected this his pre­tended thankfulnesse; The poore Publicane went away justified, and not the Pharisee.

The words then (you see) may [...]wo [...] waies be consi­dered: 2. The Divi­sion. either absolutely in themselves; and so they are very good: and beside other good things in them, this is not the least, that he is thankfull (or at least thought he ought to be thankfull) for this privative or negative mer­cie, that he was not so bad as other men: Or else respe­ctively, with regard to the man, or the mind of him that spake them, and so they are very bad; as bad almost as can be, even an intimation of a kind of Diabolicall re­joycing at others badnesse; as if hee would thanke God, [Page 33]there was scarce an honest man in the world but he; Quid est cae­teri homines, nisi omnes praeter ipsum? Ego, inquit, justus sum, cae­teri peccato­res. August. de Verb. Dom. serm. 36. ta­king a kind of complacence and contentment in their ill­nesse, for ends hereafter to be specified. Saint Paul in­deed hath a speech something like this, but with a great deale of difference in the intention of the speaker, when he thus writes to his Romans, Rom. 6.17. God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sinne; but ye have obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine to which yee were delivered: Hee doth not give God thankes, that they were, or had been the ser­vants of sinne; that were impious for the Apostle to doe, or us to thinke: but that having been the servants of sin, they had now obeyed the forme of doctrine delivered to them. Had this Pharisee thanked God, that he was better then other men; or not so bad as other men, with a simple and humble mind, he had been worthily to be commen­ded; but when as he doth this with a proud and scornfull mind: he seems to be glad, and pleased, that others were so bad, and so much worse then himselfe: And this we may observe, That we well cannot (or seldome doe) give thankes for that, wherein we doe not somewhat joy and take delight. Little joy makes cold thankes; but as thankfulnesse increases joy, so joy produces thankfulness. Now that a man should spend his joy or thankes for o­thers badnesse is a wickednesse incident to none but di­vellish dispositions; and this, we think, was justly taxable in this Pharisee.

To handle the words in both these respects, 3. The Obser­vation confir­med. the time will not permit; we will therefore looke upon them in the second consideration, with respect to the mind of the speaker, as it is discovered to us; and occasionally take in such points of the former, as doe, or may pertaine to the application of the latter. The point of observation will be this, [That Whatever shewes of goodnesse an hypocrite may make, yet he is secretly glad, and takes delight in others badnesse:] God, I thanke thee, I am not as other men are, &c. which is a kind of triumph or insultation over other mens infirmities, and especially over the poore Publi­can, [Page 34]who was reputed one of the chiefe sinners of those times, and most odious and infamous. Now had the Pharisee onely looked at his owne credit (as no doubt in part he did look at it) he would not have compared him­selfe with men so notoriously bad: For what honour or excellency is it, for a man not to be so naught as a Publi­can? especially for a Pharisee, whose profession was most eminent in those times? It had been better in such an intention, to have left out this clause, and to have told of his owne extraordinary perfections, as after he doth, I fast twice in the weeke, I give tithes of all I doe possesse. But making such a comparison, in such a manner, discovers a naughty disposition of a soule, that did please it selfe with others badnesse, or being worse then himselfe: This cor­ruption of heart, is more grossely manifested by some, who do openly make themselves merry with other mens infirmities: Pro. 10.23. The foole ( Solomons wicked foole) counts it a sport to commit wickednesse; not only himselfe, but to see others do so too; as to heare men sweare, or curse, or fret, &c. An hypocrite doth the same, though more closely; he seemes to thanke God, that he is not so bad as others, when indeed he is glad others are not so good as he. The contrary whereof appeares in those that are truly good, As they desire others goodness, I would to God all the Lords people could prophesie, &c. so they take de­light in seeing and hearing others vertues, and thanke God that others are better then themselves; as we may heare hereafter: But to manifest the truth of our Obser­vation before propounded, we have examples of other hypocrites, 1. By Scrip­ture. who were of the same disposition: First, in those counterfeit Visitants of David, In mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together: Psal. 35.15, 16. So we reade it; but the word in the originall signifies, in claudicatione mea, In my halting they rejoyced; which is [...] ^a. Heb. 12.13. applied to the soule sometimes, as well as to the body: and so may signifie as well the evill of sinne, as that of punishment. David being put upon hard adventures, by Sauls persecution, [Page 35]sometimes was subject to haltings, that is, to failings, and the discovery of many infirmities: These, when some heard or saw, they gathered themselves together, and re­joyced at it, made themselves merry with it, though they would seem to him to be very sorry; and comming to visit him, would teare their clothes, and expresse much griefe; as Tremellius understands the words. But now, who were the men that did thus? The next Verse tells you that, Hypocriticall mockers at feasts, that is, men in­deed that dissembled much religion, but were but starke hypocrites, the good fellowes of those times, that had many joviall and merry meetings; and when they were assembled together, they dealt with David, as the Phili­stines did in a like case with Sampson (sent for him to make them sport) made him, and his infirmities, his hal­tings, their Table-talke; mocking, and making jests upon him: Hypocriticall mockers at feasts. And this David having former experience of, he feares and prayes against in another place: I said, Heare me, Psal. 38.16, 17. lest my enemies rejoyce over mee; when my foot slippeth, they magnifie themselves a­gainst me: For I am ready to halting, that is, Ainswor. in lo­cum. to shew my infirmities, in my tryalls and afflictions. And upon this ground hee enforces his supplication, for strength and grace; because his hypocriticall enemies would vaunt, in­sult, and triumph in his failings. The Prophet Jeremy had experience of the like in his times; Jerem. 20.10. They waited (saith he) for my halting; peradventure hee will be enticed, and wee shall prevaile against him, &c. There were some that wat­ched the Prophet, to see if they could catch him in some untruth; and to this purpose, they laid baits to entice him, and snares to entrap him, that so they might have occasion to insult over him, that Jeremy himselfe was ta­ken napping, as well as others: And who were the men that did thus watch him? All my familiars (saith he) the men of my peace; hypocrites, that would come to enquire of him, what was the word of the Lord; Report, say they, and we will report it: False Prophets would come to him, [Page 36]pretending they waited upon him, and depended upon him, as a true Prophet of God; but the truth was, they waited for his halting, that so they might triumph over him, that he was as much overtaken as themselves: which argues, That Hypocrites, however seemingly good, yet secretly they take delight and contentment in others infirmities, or sin­fulnesse; 2. By reason. which being a naughty disposition, and a divel­lish, you may wonder it should be incident to any rea­sonable living man: we will therefore see the grounds hereof.

First, 1. Reason, com­fort in com­pany: for it is a corrupt heart finds comfort in company: It is true of sinne, as well as of misery, Solamen miseris socios habuisse. It is not so with good hearts; they care not how many companions they have in good, how few in evill, either of sinne or punishment: Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against mee, and against my fathers house: as for these sheep, what have they done? Contrarily, the Harlot having her owne childe dead, would be contented to have her neigh­bours to be dead too; this would be a kind of comfort and contentment to her. Just so it is in sin with naughty hearts, they comfort themselves in others sinfulnesse; and they have it from their father the Divell: So soone as he had sinned, and was hurled downe to hell; his next worke was to entice man, and make him sinfull, so to make him also miserable: But what comfort can a man take in wicked company?

1. 1. A foile to his seeming good­nesse. It will make a foile for his seeming goodnesse; others badnesse, opposed against his goodnesse, makes him seeme better, as his goodnesse makes others to seem worse: as blacke and white opposed, make each other appeare more eminent in their kind: A Sun-burnt face is white, compared with a Black-moore. The Pharisee was a Saint to the Publicane: And this was the very intent of the Pharisee, to bring in these examples of the grossest sin­ners, to make himselfe seeme more gloriously vertuous. Abrahams faith was sublimated and exalted, by the infidelity of those times: The chastity of Lot was more ori­ent, [Page 37]that, like a precious pearle, it lay in the dunghill of filthy Sodome: As their sinne was aggravated, and, if I may so say, magnified, by the opposition of Lots chasti­tie. An hypocrite, such as this Pharisee was, Animal gloriae. is a vain-glorious creature, seeking by all meanes to magnifie him­selfe; and therefore glad to fetch lustre to his seeming vertues from others vices: Yea, Genus virtutis est, Salvian. esse mi­nus vitiosius, sayes one; It is held a kind of vertue and honour in bad times, to be lesse vicious: And with sim­ple judgements, he passes for a just man, that is no extor­tioner, or oppresour; hee very chaste, that is no grosse adulterer: This the hypocrite knowes; and therefore if he can produce examples of affirmative or positive illness, supposes he shall find the honour, at least of a privative or negative goodnesse.

2. If he cannot attaine this, 2. A cover of his badnesse. to get a colour to varnish his seeming goodnesse, yet to find a cover for his owne badnesse will be a comfort: He is not now without an excuse, to extenuate at least his owne knowne badnesse: I am a sinner indeed, but not so bad as such and such; not as other men are, extortioners, adulterers, &c. men of good note, and better parts, have done worse then ever I did: I am no extortioner, I thanke God; I am no adul­terer: and this is the common plea of ignorant people, I thanke God, I am neither whore nor theefe, as such and such are; and so please themselves, and comfort them­selves, that they are not so bad as others are: and this is the use they make of others badnesse.

3. This gives them hope of a good condition, 3. A ground of vaine hope. not­withstanding their wicked lives: they hope they may be saved as well, yea before others, that are worse then they in some particulars, especially if they be men that have had the reputation of godlinesse. David committed a­dultery and murder, Noah was drunke, so was Lot, and incestuous; many professours now are worse over-seen then they are, they thanke God: yet these men were (at least hoped to be) saved; they lived and died Gods chil­dren, [Page 38]and why may not they doe so with lesser sinnes? This is the common delusion of ignorant men; If they be not saved that are no extortioners, no adulterers, &c. what will become of those that are? they hope to scape as well as they.

4. 4. A cloake of shame. This will serve to allay the discredit, and shame of their owne wicked courses; singularity in sin makes men more remarkable, and so more infamous: community either makes it esteemed no fault, or no crime; Incipit esse licitum, quod incipit esse publicum, That begins to be ac­counted lawfull, which begins to be publick: And that ceases to be shamefull, that most or many doe. For this cause a sinner desires to infect others, if hee can, or at least is glad to find them infected, to qualifie his owne shame.

5. 5. Fellowship in misery. Lastly, if in none of these he can take any comfort, yet in this he will, that he shall not be miserable alone: This we heare desperately out of the mouthes of wicked men, If they doe goe to hell , they shall not goe alone; company good store: Miserable comforters are they all; yet such comfort the corrupt hearts of men (as the Di­vell himselfe also does) sucke out of the falls and sinnes of other men: And this is the first reason of their joy in evill.

2. Reason, En­vie.Another reason is, that secret envie, which is the at­tendant of hypocriticall pride: Doe you thinke the Scrip­ture sayes in vaine, Jam. 4.5. the spirit that is in us lusteth after envie, saith Saint James? There is in every proud heart a porti­on of envie, the nature whereof is, as to grieve at others good, so to rejoyce at others bad; whether of sin, or misery: The ungodly shall see it, Psal. 112.10. that is, the prosperity of the god­ly, and it shall grieve him. Now this is certaine, He that grieves at anothers good, will rejoyce at his hurt or evill: And this is as true in morall good or evill, He that en­vies, and consequently grieves at anothers vertues or goodnesse (as every hypocrite doth, he would have none thought vertuous but himselfe) will certainly be glad, [Page 39]and much please himselfe with others badnesse; because (as we said) this addes a lustre to his seeming vertues. A proud man cannot endure a competitour in goodnesse: The Pharisees did all they could to engrosse the name and honour of knowledge and religion to themselves; and therefore, when our blessed Saviour was deservedly raised and magnified by the people above them, his ho­nour was the object of their envie, & the matter of their torment and vexation: And when they had procured him to be put to death, how did they rejoyce and insult upon him! The like may be seen of Josephs brethren, Gen. 37.

A third and last reason is, 3. Reason, ha­tred of good­nesse. from a secret hatred of goodnesse, however he may seem to love and favour it. An hypocrite, what shewes soever he make, yet loves not goodnesse; not in himselfe, much lesse in others. The appearance indeed he loves, because it brings him credit in the world; but he receives net the truth in the love of it: 2 Thes. 2. Yea, secretly he hates it, and hates to be reformed, as the Psalmist speakes; and no marvell: for hee hates God, though perhaps he doth not perceive it. Now this is a rule, As Love and Hatred are contrary affections, so they have contrary objects: Love good, and hate evill; or love evill, and hate good. Againe, as they that love good in themselves or others, cannot but joy and delight in be­holding it; so they that hate good, cannot but rejoyce in the evill of others. A good man is pleased as well with others good, as his owne: An evill man no lesse with o­thers illnesse, then his owne. Love (saith the Apostle) rejoyces not in iniquity, but [...], rejoyceth in the truth, 1 Cor. 13.6. or with the truth: Love (saith he) envieth not, it swelleth not, Ver. 4. it vaunteth not it selfe (over others infirmities) it behaveth not it selfe unseemly: but Hatred envies, swells, or is puffed up, vaunts it selfe, and behaves it selfe unseemly; and thereupon rejoyces in iniquity: These are the grounds of the point.

And now we come to make some Application 4. The Applica­tion, and that of this [Page 40]Doctrine to our selves; and we will (for better method and memory) reduce all we have to say to two heads: 1. The discovery of many for hypocrites, by the wrong uses they make of others infirmities, or sinfulnesse. 2. The directions to the right uses that wee should make.

The first use hereof is, 1. For discove­rie of manifold hypocrisie, as to use it as a light to discover a world of hypocrites, who by severall waies doe manifest this naughty and cursed disposition, to rejoyce or take delight in others badnesse; and they are of many sorts: We will note some:

First, 1 such as, from the sight and knowledge of others sinnes, take occasion to harden themselves in their sinfull courses, and to strengthen themselves in their wicked­nesse; comforting themselves in the company of others, and perhaps those of the better sort, as they are reputed; and so settle themselves upon their dregges, as Zephany speakes: Why (say they) many of the best of Gods chil­dren have been subject to their faults and infirmities; done as bad, or worse perhaps then we, and yet were sa­ved: Noah, David, Lot, and others in our owne know­ledge. But to discourage this conclusion, we propound to such a threefold consideration.

1. The difference between them and their copy: For, 1. they sinned of infirmity, these men of deliberation: They did not look at the examples of others that fell before them, to fall after them, which these men doe: They purposed, resolved, swore they would keep Gods commandements; so did never these: therefore theirs were sinnes of infirmity, these of presumption. 2. They sinned, but they repented, and proportionably to their sinne; David watered his couch with his teares; Peter wept bitterly; did not, as these men doe, comfort them­selves, and put off sorrow, with examples of others fal­lings. And, 3. they sinned, but not after repentance; Noah drunke but once, &c. these never repent; or if they seem to doe so, it was but in hypocrisie, as the con­tinuance [Page 41]in their sin, by others examples, doth demon­strate.

2. The issue and successe of those sinners, whom they presume to follow: They sinned, but they smarted sound­ly; none so sharply out of hell: David had not only the sword threatned without, but had his bones broken within, Psal. 51. If they knew how deare they paid for their sinnes, they would be loth to buy the pleasure at so deare a rate; content not therefore your selves with this poore comfort of their examples.

3. This would also be considered by such men, that this is a most fearfull perverting of the Scripture, and the providence of God, in suffering others to fall before our eyes, to their owne destruction, as the Apostle sayes some men doe; and amongst all the uses that God in­tends therein, this is the worst and most dangerous: For if we aske, Why did God suffer his children heretofore to fall into foule and scandalous sinnes, and record them in the Scripture? One of these three may be said: First, for admonition; These things were written for our admoni­tion, that we should not lust as they lusted, 1 Cor. 10.11. nor murmure as they murmured; let him therefore that thinkes he stands, take heed lest he fall. Secondly, for comfort, that those that fall by infirmity, or otherwise, might have a ground of hope to rise againe; Who should ever rise, if they had not fal­len? How apt are men, through their owne corruption, and the Divels temptations, to despaire? None of Gods children ever fell so low, so foulely, would he say: Yes, Paul was a persecutour, &c. and received to mercy, 1 Tim. 1.16. that God might in him shew an example, as of humane frail­ty, so of Gods mercy: Or thirdly, God in his providence suffers these falls, in former and present times, to make stumbling blockes for some, whom he purposes to destroy, to keep them from coming into the way of godlinesse; and so from the end, to which it leads, eternall life: Its certaine, many doe stumble at this stone, and rocke of of­fence, the fallings and failings of Gods people; and are [Page 42]either set at a stand in the profession of Religion, as the people stood still at Asahels carkasse; or else turne quite backe againe, as if that were not the way, which such men walke in; who fall many times more hainously, more scandalously then meere naturall men: They will not in sad and serious manner professe, because some pro­fesse Religion, and are not; Woe be to them, by whom the offence cometh: but woe also to the world, because of of­fences; woe to the giver, and woe to the taker of of­fence. The way to heaven is a narrow and a straight way, and besides, slippery; he is more then a man, that falls not sometimes, having so many stumbling blockes laid in his way by the flesh, the world, and the Divell: but theres no other way but that. Now were not he a mad man, that would refuse to walke a slippery way, suppose over ice, seeing there is no other way; because he sees many slip before him? Yet he is worse, who see­ing his neighbour downe, will not step over him, but pur­posely stumble, and fall with him; and then plead his example, to excuse his owne falling: Thus do many men comfort themselves in the falls of others; and these are the first sort.

2 Secondly, another sort of hypocrites are those that, from the sight or knowledge of others sinnes, take occa­sion to vent their gall against Religion, and the profes­sion it selfe; to lay all the fault upon that, and to insult over the whole number of them that professe it; This is their Religion, These are your Professours, your Holy ones, thus they doe such they are all: Fie upon this Faction; as some­times they said of David, Fie upon thee, fie upon thee, we have seen it with our eyes: Or, as some said of Saint Paul, the ring-leader of the Nazarenes, as one called him: Away with him, away with him, it is not fit that he should live: But to coole this heat a little, consider,

1. What hard measure these men exact of their bre­thren, over they doe of themselves; they will not allow them common, and humane infirmities: Their brethren [Page 43]must live like Angels, themselves like Divels; and yet be counted honest men.

2. What inequality, if not iniquity is this in judge­ment? What partiality in judging? They can allow men of their owne confederacie, many grosse, not infirmities, but crimes: Some drunkards, some whore-masters, and what not? yet they heare, honest men, good neighbours, onely they have their infirmities: But if a professour of more godlinesse slip, and catch a fall (as who lives, and sins not) his infirmities are made crimes; and himselfe proclaim'd an hypocrite. Had these men lived in Da­vids time, and seen his grievous falls, hee should have heard, Hypocrite, and Counterfeit; and this is your holy David, &c. and so he did from some, no doubt: The drun­kards made songs of him, perhaps for those or the like infir­mities.

3. But what uncharitablenesse is this, to condemne all for one? There was a Cham in Noahs family, an Ismael in Abrahams, an Absolom in Davids, a Judas in Christs; shall any be so rash to say, They were all such? A grosse falshood; all are not such: There are many (blessed bee the grace of God) that shine as lights, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Many, whom the Di­vell himselfe (except but common infirmities) cannot accuse justly of any scandalous sin.

4. What hypocrisie is this, to lay the faults of professours upon Religion; yea, that Religion which themselves professe, at least in shew? For Papists to censure thus of our Religion were somewhat tolerable; but for Prote­stants thus to flie in the face of their owne Religion, what heart can heare with patience? They know, Reli­gion allowes or teaches no such thing: The grace of God, that brings salvation, teaches us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, &c. The commandement is holy, and just, and good; though in the best profession some have their infirmities, and some indeed be hypocrites: And the truth is, this man that thus strikes at the head or heart of [Page 44]Religion, through the sides of some weake professours, discovers his owne hypocrisie: For if he did not hate Re­ligion (in the power of it) he could not thus insult and rejoyce in the shame of that, which yet he would seem to honour.

3 Thirdly, another sort are those, who take occasion from mens sinnes, to insult over them, to scorne and despise them, as here the Pharisee did; God, I thanke thee, I am not as other men, &c. Its strange to see how superciliously some (perhaps more civilly honest men) doe carry them­selves towards those, who are more scandalously sinfull, whether presumptuously, or by infirmity. How do they entertaine high thoughts of themselves, and their owne goodnesse, in comparison of those? How highly they over-looke them? how bigge they speak? how scorn­full? how reproachfull? like this Pharisee here, This Publican, and those others elsewhere; This people that knowes not the Law, are cursed: Or those their predeces­sours of old, Stand farther off, I am more holy then thou: I thanke God, I am not as other men are, &c. To let out this swelling impostumated pride, I would propound these few considerations:

1. This is no great matter to boast of; an hypocrite, an heathen, a reprobate may be no extortioner, not un­just, no adulterer: Many such have been among the Gentiles, as civilly honest as they.

2. This is but a negative kind of goodnesse, that is not to be better, but lesse ill then others; which is indeed a positive kind of illnesse, though in a lower degree: but to be lesse ill, is not to be good; unlesse to be ill, be to be good. And if he may be accounted good who is lesse ill, there are scarce any bad upon earth; none almost so bad, but he may find worse, if not here, yet in hell: Cain and Judas might prove to be good and honest men, for no doubt there were some worse then they. Nay, I dare be bold to say, there are many better then this negative man in hell; there are some, who not only were no adul­terers [Page 45]extortioners, &c. but chaste, and charitable, and have done many good workes in appearance: and there­fore this is but a poore matter to boast of; not so bad as others on earth, not so deep as others in hell.

3. This may come from restraining, not from sancti­fying grace; and what is a man the better for that? A Lion in a chaine cannot range and devoure, as he would doe: The Divell himselfe, that roaring Lion, is held in the chaine of Gods Almighty providence, that he can­not doe the mischiefe which hee would. Their nature is never the better for that: Thou art no extortioner, no adulterer; perhaps thou wouldst, but durst not, but couldst not: Is this a thing to boast of?

4. But grant all this, yet who may they thank for it? not themselves, not their owne better nature, or dispo­sition; but God that hath chained up their corruption, and let loose others to their owne hearts lusts. If others be so and so, they are to be pittied, not scorned: If any man be not so, he ought to be the more thankfull, not proud and scornfull; Who made him to differ? What hath he, that he hath not received? Why then doth he boast, as if he had not received it?

5. Yet see the hypocrisie of men discovered: I thank God, sayes one, I am not an extortioner, not an adul­terer, &c. What great matter is this? All men are not ex­tortioners, or adulterers: Some have another lust predo­minant their veine lies another way: One man hates adultery, but loves drunkennesse: Another hates prodi­gality, but loves covetousnesse: Say then, thou proud Pharisee, I am no slanderer, or detracter from other mens credit; I am not proud: but that thou canst not say: Thou art not like the Publican indeed, for he, though a sinner, was humble; thou art a sinner, and proud. Seve­rall men have severall waies to spend and vent their lust; all are damnable: Boast not then, I am no adulterer, when thou art a blasphemer, or covetous, or proud, &c. that is palpable hypocrisie.

4 A fourth sort of hypocrites are such, as delight, and are glad to see or heare, or perhaps to tell and blaze a­broad the faults and falls of others. Some have itching eyes, desirous to see or know: Some have itching eares, tic­kled and contented to heare the worst reports, especially of professours; and itching tongues, that please themselves in raking in the infirmities of other men: Tell-tales, that like Pedlars goe up and downe from house to house, and open their packs at every doore: Did you not heare what such a one hath done? I am sorry to speake it, I pray tell nobody; when secretly he is glad, and desirous all should know it. Such a fellow was that cursed Cham, who could not satisfie his wickednesse to see, but must needs run and tell his brethren of his fathers nakednesse; whereas his brothers took no delight to see it; therefore they went backward, and threw their garments over it, to shew how displeasingly they heard so vile a report of their fa­ther. 2 Sam. 21.8.Such an hypocrite was Doeg, who (forsooth) was detentus coram Jehova, detained before the Lord at Nob, whether with conscience of the Sabbath, or some vow, it matters not; yet in the next Chapter, turnes Informer against David: I saw the sonne of Issai coming to Nob, & [...]. This he did, either to flatter, and humour, and curry fa­vour with Saul; or to vent his secret spleen and malice against David, whose vertues were more eminent, and whose fame eclipsed his. But David brands him for a starke hypocrite for his labour, and for a lying fellow, though he spake but the truth: Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe, Psal. 52.1.&c. O thou mighty man? Thy tongue deviseth mis­chiefes, like a sharp rasour, working deceitfully: Thou lovest e­vill more then good (for all thy faire pretences of devotion) and lying rather then to speake righteousnesse: Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitfull tongue. Why (might some man say) Doeg told nothing but the truth; why then is he thus complained on? Why? because he spake the truth with an ill mind, in an ill manner, boasting and insulting over Davids infirmity, as if he were glad of this [Page 48]advantage, to ingratiate himself with Saul, and to do Da­vid a mischief: Such Doegs there are too many now, Hypo­critical mockers at feasts (as David calls them) trencher-flies, who fall upon the sores of those that professe godlinesse; to please some, to whom they know such newes will be welcome: men notwithstanding that seeme sometimes very pious and devout, holy with the holy: this secret de­light, to heare or tell others infirmities, discovers them for hypocrites; and these are the fourth sort.

5 Another sort are such as envie at others goodnes, or cre­dit thence arising: Some preach Christ out of envie, said the Apostle; and how glad were they to spie out the failings of those that preached in sincerity? Now this is certaine, He that is envious at others goodnesse, will rejoyce, or be much pleased with his badnesse. Paul was of another disposition; Notwithstanding, whether in pretence, or in truth, Phil. 1.18. Christ is preached, and I therein doe rejoyce, and will rejoyce. Good men desire all men were as good, yea better then themselves; this they pray for: I would to God (saith Moses) that all the Lords people could prophesie. I would to God (saith Paul to Agrippa) not onely thou, but even all that heare mee this day, were altogether such as I am. To conclude, see you a man proud, vain-glorious, and consequently envious? certainly, that man cannot but take delight in seeing and hearing others badnesse: Envie feeds it selfe upon others evills; it is as pleasant to him, as his meat and drinke. But to allay this cursed disposition in them all, I propound but these three things to their consideration:

1. This argues, that they are destitute of all true Chri­stian charity, and love of their brethren; Love envieth not; love rejoyceth not iniquity, its owne or others: That man that should see his very enemy fall, and break a legge or an arme, &c. and rejoyce at it, were a beast, and no man. But he that shall see his brother fall into sin, and break not a legge or arme, but the neck of his soule, if I may so say, and make himselfe and others sport with it, hath put off man, and put on Divell. The Divell indeed [Page 48]rejoyces at the falls of men: As there is joy in heaven for one sinner that repents; so, no doubt, there is joy in hell for one penitent that relapseth. I may allude to Saint James: Jam. 3.14, 15. If you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts (which will certainly cause rejoycing at others e­vill) glory not, and lye not against the truth. This wisdome (or folly rather) descendeth not from above, but is earth­ly, sensuall, divellish.

2. As they have no love of their brethren, so nor any love of God (what ever they may pretend) that can re­joyce in his dishonour. Nothing more dishonours God, then the scandalous lives of professours; and canst thou rejoyce in that which grieves and dishonours him? Can any good childe sport himselfe in his fathers disgrace? I will say to thee, as Paul to Elymas the Sorcerer, Thou childe of the Divell, thou enemy of all righteousnesse; what e­ver pretence or profession thou makest.

3. This is enough to discover such for hypocrites; what shew of love to Religion soever they make, they doe in­deed hate it: Psal. 50. God himselfe challenges such, To the un­godly (saith God) what hast thou to doe to preach my Law, and to take my Covenant in thy mouth; whereas thou hatest to be reformed? Wherein (might he say) doe I hate to be reformed? Marke what followes; Thou satest (in the seat of scorners) and spakest against thy brother, and hast slande­red thine owne mothers sonne: Thou takest delight to be speaking of thy brother, things either true or false, it matters not; and this concludes thee for an hypocrite. No sound member of the body can delight it selfe in the disease or dishonour of a fellow-member: If one member suffer, 1 Cor. 12.26. all the members suffer with it: if one member be honou­red, all the members rejoyce with it. Let these things bee considered; and so we proceed to the second use.

And that is for direction, 2. Directions, what use to make of others [...]alls. how to stand affected at others badnesse, and what uses we ought to make, if (at least) we will approve our hearts either to God or men, or our selves to be sincere. To insult and be glad at others bad­nesse, [Page 49]that they are worse then we, is a signe of a naughty and hypocriticall heart: What then is to be done in such a case? We cannot but see daily the out-flyings of o­ther mens corruptions, into many foule and scandalous sinnes; and what use worldly men and hypocrites make thereof, to triumph in their falls, we have heard already; which being considered, let us see what use we ought to make: Wee will reduce all to these foure heads; 1. To humble us, 2. to make us thankfull, 3. to make us, pitifull and mournfull, 4. to make us watchfull.

1. The first use we should make, is to humble us, 1. Humility. consideration of our common frailty. It was a Heathen mans advice, When thou beholdest other mens infirmi­ties, reflect upon thine owne heart, and aske thy selfe, Numnam ego talis? Did I never commit the same, or the like as bad? Yea, the Apostle inferres all meeknesse to be used to all men, upon this very ground: Tit. 3.3 For wee our selves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, serving divers lusts, &c. Or, if not so, yet aske once more, May I not be so? May I not fall as foule as he? Have I not the same nature? the same corruption? even this considera­tion the Apostle also urges; Galat. 6.1. If any man be overtaken a slip or infirmity, you that are spirituall, restore him with the spirit of meeknesse, considering thy selfe, lest thou also be temp­ted. That sinne (as well as misery) may befall every man, that doth befall any man: Yea, wee should be so farre from insulting and rejoycing at it, that we should trem­ble at their fall, & at the justice of God in suffering it. To be given over to a mans owne hearts lusts, is one of the most fearfull judgements that can befall a man: Psal. 81.12. So I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts, and let them follow their own imaginations; as if hee knew not how to punish them worse. To punish a man with sinning, is the worst part of punishment. Now all Gods judgements ought to be trembled at, much more the greatest. If we see a man suddenly struck dead by the pestilence, or other disease, Acts 5.11. wee are amazed, and tremble at it; how much more [Page 50]ought we to doe so, when we see a man struck downe with sinne? And that the rather, when we consider, that it might have been our case, having the same nature, the same desert in both? we have as great sinnes to provoke God, to let our corruptions loose, to shame both our selves and our profession: Rom. 11.22. Behold the goodnesse and severity of God, as the Apostle in a like case: Goodnesse to thee, severity to them that fall; mercy to thee, justice to them: and when thou beholdest, be humble and trem­ble. Tremble, I say, at his severity to them, and his goodnesse to thee, if thou continue in his goodnesse; o­therwise (marke what followes) even thou also shalt be cut off: shalt be let loose, and fall as foule as they. Thou wilt say then (to allude to the Apostle) They are fallen, but I stand upright: Ver. 19 Well, they are fallen by unbeliefe, un­thankfulnesse, or some other sinne, by the justice, and just judgement of God; and thou standest by faith (if so bee thou hast faith) be not high-minded, but feare. If God spa­red not them, take heed lest he spare not thee. And that is the first use to be made of others falls.

A second is for thankfulnesse, 2. Thankful­nesse. that wee are not so bad. The Pharisee supposed right, had he but proceeded right; had the manner been sutable to the matter, no man could have spoken better. It is worth abundance of thankes, that wee are not as other men are, &c. as hath been largely proved in the former point: we will but borrow the remembrance of the chiefe heads, to quicken the exhortations, and then proceed to another. There is great reason we should say (with a more humble heart then the Pharisee) God, I thanke thee, that I am not as other men are, not an extortioner, &c. I know not whether is the greater mercy, Omnia pec­cata sic haben­da tanquam dimittantur, à quibus Deus custodit ne committan­tur. August. to forgive a sinne, when it is committed: or to prevent a sinne from being committed: I will not dispute the case; but propound the reasons of our thank­fulnesse.

1. If we consider the spawne and seed of corruption, which lies bedded in our hearts, waiting but opportunity [Page 51]to breake out into the same enormities; there is not the vilest sinne that ever was committed, but we might and should commit, did not God in much mercy re­straine us. We admire and wonder at others badnesse; we need not, if we consider the root from whence it proceeds: but rather wonder we are not as bad, and ad­mire Gods goodnesse wee are not. It is, wee said even now, one of the greatest judgements of God, to let cor­ruption loose upon a man, and to deliver him into the power thereof. It is consequently one of the greatest mercies, to have it chained up from breaking out: and therefore say humbly, God, I thanke thee, &c.

2. In regard of the issues and consequents of sin com­mitted, which are manifold and grievous miseries, which our eyes have seen overtake men for their sinnes which they have committed: A wounded spirit, broken bones, as David calls them; sorrow, sicknesse, poverty, ignomi­nie, shame to themselves, friends, profession, and reli­gion it selfe; death temporall, yea, and perhaps eternall: from all which we are freed, by being kept from their sinnes. Consider but what they would give to be inno­cent againe, if possible; and thinke what a mercy it is, to be kept from their sinne, and their misery: and then goe and blesse God, and say, God, I thanke thee, &c. wee cannot but stand amazed, that many, and they in our opinion and their owne, godly, learned, wise, &c. have fallen into so many great and foule sinnes, to their owne shame, sorrow, misery, and the scandall of religion, &c. Why are not we fallen into the same pit? Are we bet­ter then they? Nothing at all: It is the grace of God that makes this difference between us: Blessed be God, and his grace for his mercy. Oh then, doe not insult o­ver men wounded, and fallen at our feet, doe not rejoyce at them, but, with all humble thankfulnesse, adore and blesse that grace that hath preserved us from falling.

But it is not enough not to rejoyce or triumph at the falls of others; 3. Compassion or mourning. it is also a duty required to mourne with [Page 52]them, and for them: This I am sure, was the practise of holy men heretofore; Psal. 119. so did David, I was grieved to see the transgressours: Mine eyes gusht out with rivers of teares, because men keep not thy Law. So did Saint Paul, in a case of a scandalous sinne, 2 Cor. 2.4. by the incestuous person: Out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with ma­ny teares: Phil. 3. Some walke (saith he) of whom I have told you be­fore, and now tell you weeping, &c. And there is very good reason for it: for

1. Otherwise thou art like to fall into the same, or an­other sinne as bad, and as scandalous. Into the same, first: For nothing better to preserve a man from the infection of other mens sinnes, then to be grieved and mourne for them: This kept just Lot from the hurt of Sodoms sins, living amongst them, 2 Pet. 2. that he vexed his righteous soule, in beholding their uncleane conversation. Upon this ground the Apostle told his Corinthians, that a little leaven would lea­ven the whole lump; even infect them, that had not sor­rowed for the sinne committed by the incestuous per­son: Or if thou escapest the same, it is just with God, to let thee fall into another sinne as bad and infamous; be­cause thou doest not compassionate and mourne for o­thers sinnes, much more, if thou in the least manner re­joycest at his fall: The unmercifulnesse and scorne of men is sometimes thus requited. What Solomon sayes of an enemy, Pro. 24.17. may very well be applyed to this purpose: Re­joyce not at thine enemy when he falleth (into misery, or sin) neither let thine heart be glad, when he stumbleth; lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and hee turne his hand from him, upon thee; and suffer thee to fall into the like, or as bad a sinne, to find as little mercy and compassion, or as much scorne and contempt, as thou hast shewed to thy brother. I doubt not, but this hath overtaken many of Gods chil­dren; they have been let goe, to fall: because they have not pittied and mourned with others that have fallen by them. God cannot endure that men, subject to the like infirmities, should be proud and insult, or be mercilesse [Page 53]and pittilesse towards others; and therefore oftentimes payes them in their owne coine.

2. But if not so, yet thou shalt be guilty of others sins, for which thou hast not mourned; much more, if rejoy­ced at it. The Apostle charges his Corinthians for a dou­ble fault in this kind: one, 1 Cor. 5.2. that they did not mourne for that scandalous sinne; another, that they were puffed up, swelled against him, insulted over him: and this made them double guilty of his sinne. Contrarily, when they had mourned for that sinne, he gives them their acquit­tance; Behold this very thing, that ye have been godly sorry, 2 Cor. 7.11. what Apologie it hath wrought for you: ye have shewed your selves free in this matter. It may seem a paradox, but is a truth; A man is guilty of all those sinnes of the times he doth not mourne for: but if he shall adde, to re­joyce at them, or take pleasure in them that doe them, as the Pharisee did, he shall be double, yea treble guilty of them.

3. And if guilty of the sinne, lyable to the punish­ment: Be not partakers of her sinne, lest yee bee partakers of her judgements, is a caution prescribed specially in the case of Babylon; but may extend to any nation, or particular persons sinne. This was once proved on the contrary, in a common destruction, the mourners onely were pre­served: Ezek. 9.4. Goe (saith he) and set a marke upon the fore-heads of all those that mourne for all the abominations committed in the city; and then smite the rest, and spare none: Let this be considered.

The last use that we are to make upon the view and consideration of others falls and infirmities, 4. Watchful­nesse, conside­ring is to be more watchfull over our owne hearts and waies. The Apostle makes the conclusion for us: 1 Cor. 10 12. Let him therefore that thinkes he stands, take heed lest hee fall: Not onely their punish­ments, but their sinnes are written for our example, that we sinne not as they did. They are written for our ad­monition; they murmured, they committed Idolatry, they fell into fornication, they tempted; we are made of [Page 53]the same metall, subject to the same infirmities: Let no man therefore insult over their falls, upon conceit of his owne strength; but let him that thinkes hee stands, take heed lest hee fall. The like may be said concerning those, who fall into scandalous sinnes in our own know­ledge: Consider thy selfe, lest thou also be tempted. This ex­hortation is very seasonable, To walke circumspectly, to walke exactly, especially to those, who make a more then ordinary profession of Religion, considering

1. 1. Our owne frailty. Our owne frailty, even the strongest of us; wee are made of the same matter, have the seed of the same sinnes in us: But when wee see men farre better then our selves so foulely overtaken, how should we chuse but tremble, and watch and pray against our owne weak­nesses? Neh. 13.26. That place of Nehemiah is pertinent, Did not So­lomon King of Israel sinne by these things? yet among many Nations was there no King like unto him, who was beloved of God: neverthelesse him did outlandish women cause to sinne. Whence the Argument is strongly enforced: Did Solomon? Did David? Did Peter so stumble, and fall so foule­ly and hainously? men of admirable wisdome, strength, and piety? who then may not feare to fall? If the Cedars of Lebanon were so shaken, so broken, how had the les­ser under-wood need to look to their standing? If men of yeares and strength slip and fall, how had children need to look to themselves?

2. 2. The issues of such falls: for Considering the issues ordinarily of the falls of those that professe godlinesse, the sinfull example of a wicked man doth much hurt, but nothing to that of a Professour: For,

1. 1. It hardens some wicked. This more hardens some that are wicked in their courses; Why the best men have their infirmities: nay, doe sometimes as bad as we; Noah was drunken, David adulterous, &c. and yet good men, and saved.

2. 2. It grieves the godly. This more grieves those that are good: Nothing wounds their soules more, then to see their fellow-bre­thren fall so foulely; Paul was grieved much for his coun­try-men [Page 55]the Jewes that were not, nor would be con­verted; but more, I beleeve, for that sinne and scandall of the incestuous person, who was a Christian.

3. This more disgraces Religion, 3. It disgraces Religion. and consequently keeps men off from being religious: The very rumour and slander of the Primitive Christians, that they were incestuous, and adulterous, was a strong engine of the Divell to keep many from being converted, especially the civiller sort of the Heathens: They could not love that Religion that allowed (as they were told and be­leeved) such monstrous iniquities. And at this day, what keeps the Turkes and Jewes from being Christians, but the wicked lives of many professing Christianity? Amongst us Christians, what withholds many Papists from con­verting, but the dissolute lives of many Protestants? A­mongst us Protestants, what keeps many, otherwise ci­villy honest, from being altogether Christians, that is, truly godly, but the scandalous lives of some Professors? That Indian, laboured by the Jesuites to become a Chri­stian, having asked, what became of the Spaniards when they dye, and of his owne fore-fathers; and being an­swered, that the latter went to Hell, the former to Hea­ven: replyed, that he would rather goe to Hell with his fore-fathers, then to Heaven with the Spaniards; and all, because he saw those barbarous cruelties committed upon his country-men by the Spaniards: It cannot bee (saith our Saviour) but offences will come; but woe to the man by whom they come: Woe to the world, because of of­fences; woe to the takers; woe, yea twice woe to the givers: It were better that a mill-stone were hanged a­bout their neckes, and they cast into the Sea, then that they should lay such stumbling-blockes in the way of o­thers: O therefore be watchfull, be circumspect, walke wisely towards them that are without; Give no offence to the Jew nor Gentile, nor to the Church of God.

4. Lastly, this more dishonours not onely Religion, 4. It disho­nours God most. but God himselfe; when the Doctrine suffers, the Name of [Page 56]God suffers with it: It opens the mouthes of wicked men, even against God himselfe. You may judge of Christ, by the lives of them that are called Christians, said Salvian of old. If Christ their Master were good, and his Doctrine good, these Christians could not be so bad: Therefore the Apostle seriously advises people to be ex­actly religious, Tit. 2.5. lest the Word of God be blasphemed, as a tea­cher or allower of such things as are dishonest. And a­gaine, 1 Tim. 6.1. that the Name of God, and his Doctrine be not blasphe­med: And to whom speakes he this? First, to wives, and they of the ordinary sort too: Hee would have them be lovers of their husbands, lovers of their children, sober, chaste, keepers at home, obedient to their owne hus­bands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed, Tit. 2.5. Then to servants, 1 Tim. 6.1. Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their owne masters worthy of all honour, that the Name and Doctrine of God be not blasphemed. Alas (might some say) what credit or discredit can a poore woman, or a poore servant doe to Religion? Yes, much either way: Therefore the Apostle Peter speaks of wives, that he would have them vertuous and pious, that their husbands which beleeve not, 1 Pet. 3.1, 2. might be wonne by the conversa­tion of the wives. And the Apostle Paul speakes of ser­vants, Tit. 2.9. that they should be obedient to their owne masters in all things, carefull to please, not answering againe, not purloyners; but shewing all good faithfulnesse: To what end and pur­pose? that they may adorne the Doctrine of God our Savi­our in all things. The poorest and meanest Professour that is, may doe much good or much hurt to Religion; and therefore my exhortation and adjuration to you all, that professe Religion more then ordinarily, be you high or low, rich or poore, masters or servants, is, that you walke circumspectly, exactly, watchfully over your hearts and waies; and that the rather, because there be many observers, Psal. 27.11. as David calls his enemies, that watch for your halting, and will rejoyce to see even the meanest Profes­sour slip or fall; and be ready to insult over not onely [Page 57]you, but your Religion, your fellow-brethren, yea in a manner, your God: I would have you therefore to ab­staine, not onely from grosse evills, 1 Thessal. 5. but even from the very appearance of evill: Not onely to bee just, and faithfull, and sober, and chaste, and true in all your words, promi­ses, dealings, but to carry your selves so fairely, so openly, so clearly honest, and godly, that those that watch for occasions, may not have so much as the least ground to fa­sten a suspition on; but may bee ashamed, and (if God please) be converted, or convinced, when they shall be­hold your blamelesse conversation: Doe but thus walke, and you shall honour God, honour your fellow-brethren, (be you never so meane) honour Religion; and Re­ligion and God himselfe shall honour you here, and in the end crown you with glory and immortality. Amen.

VINDICIAE SPEI. SHEWING The Lawfulnesse of doing Good out of Hope of Reward.

THe Apostle having propounded an Ad­monition, to Circumspection, Coherence. in the former part of this verse, (Looke to your selves) enforces it by a double argu­ment, taken from a double danger, of a double losse; Losse of labour, (that we lose not the things which wee have wrought,) and losse of reward; (but that we may receive a full reward.) These words then, are the second ground of enforcement, taken from the feare or danger of a second losse; And there are in it considerable, these three particulars:

[Page 62] 1. Division. The thing expected, A reward.

2. The degree of that reward, A full reward.

3. The expectation of that full reward; that we may re­ceive it; Looke to your selves, that we may receive it.

Of the two former we have already spoken; Explication. we are now to dispatch the last: And the words carry this meaning with them; As if the Apostle should have said, We (or you, for the copies differ) doe expect to receive a reward, yea a full reward of our labour (and you of yours;) if you doe not cir­cumspectly looke to your selves, we, or you, or both, shall come short of our hope; and lose, if not all, yet at least, some part of our reward; our reward shall not be so full as we expect; therefore I admonish and exhort you to look to your selves, lest wee and you, losing the things which wee (or you) have wrought, lose also our reward : Looke to your selves that our expectation may not be frustrate; but that we may in­deed receive, what we doe so earnestly expect.

The Conclusion hence resulting will be this: Observation. It is lawfull to doe Good in Hope of Re­ward: proved by That it is lawfull (if not necessarie) for the best men, for their better incouragement in the service of God, to have an eye upon the promised reward: Or thus, Hope of reward is not alto­gether unlawfull, in doing of our dutie to God. This point, were it not for the ignorant clamors and presumptuous im­portunitie of some, need not any great confirmation, the thing is so apparant, both in Scripture and reason: But that we may give satisfaction to them that doubt, or conviction to them that deny this truth; we will bestow some paines in making it good: and that

1. 1. The Pro­mises. By those gracious Promises of God made unto us in the Scripture; which, what else can they import, but a liber­ty and lawfulnesse at least, to make use of them, to the best advancement of our performances? We instance in some: That to Abraham, is of this kind, to this purpose, Feare not, Abraham; Why? I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.1. Gen. 15.1. And that's another, I am God al­mighty, Gen. 17.1. walke before me, and be upright, Gen. 17.1. As if he should say, Goe on, Abraham, in thy obedience to my [Page 63]commands, feare nothing; and for thy encouragement take this my gracious promise, (which forget not to remember and make use of) I will be thy Shield to defend thee; and thy exceeding great reward, to recompence thee for all thy los­ses thou undergoest for my sake. Looke often upon this promise, and be encouraged to goe on cheerefully. That is a most pregnant place, Deut. 28. Deut. 28.1, &c. where Moses layes downe a Catalogue of Blessings promised to obedience; If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, &c. Blessed shalt thou be in the citie, and blessed in the field, &c. To what purpose all this, if those people might not, in per­formance of their obedience, cast an eye upon them? Moses might have saved that labour both of repeating, and writing, and have barely propounded the will of God, and so have left them to chuse whether they would obey, or no: As Kings proclaime their pleasure, without any promise of reward, (or particular penaltie) at the subjects perill be it, if he refuse to yeeld obedience. But lest any should say, This was indeed a course fit for the Paedagogie of the Law; Children must be drawne with sweet allurements, as they with a land flowing with milke and honie; but the Gospel gives more grace, and therefore, now, Love must supply the place, both of Hope and Feare. Take we some in the New Testament: Our blessed Saviour himselfe, the only Lawgiver, not onely implicitely, in propounding blessednesse to those particular vertues; but explicitely and plainly, Matth. 5.12. Matth. 5.12. He pro­vokes them to rejoyce and be exceeding glad, in persecuti­on, upon this very argument of our text; Luc. 6.35. For great is your reward in heaven▪ So Luc. 6.35. Love your enemies, &c. and your reward shall be great, &c. Thus S. Paul 2. Cor. 7.1. Seeing therefore we have these promises, 2. Cor. 7.1. (to be the sonnes and daughters of God, cap. 6. last) Let us, (upon the sight of these Promises, and certaine expectation of their perfor­mance) cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, &c. And S. Peter treads in the same steps: Wherfore, 2. Pet. 3.14. beloved, seeing ye looke for such things (a new heaven, and a new earth, according to his promise) be diligent, that ye may [Page 64]be found, without spot and blamelesse. I could be infinite in such parallel places; which (I say againe) are all needlesse arguments, if so be we may not make use of them, by exer­ci sing of our Hope, to excite our diligence in those injoyned dueties.

2. 2. The Com­mand. By the Commands of Scriptures, founded upon those promises, to exercise our Hope; How often, doe we heare it in the old Testament; Psal. 42 5. 130.7. Hope in the Lord; Hope in his mercies &c. Now what is hope, but the expectation of those things which God hath promised? Can a man expect them, and not hope for them? Can a man hope for them, and not looke at them? Can he looke at them, hope for them, or ex­pect them, and not be provoked to those dueties to which they are promised? we have one pertinent place for all, and that in the new Testament; 1 Pet. 1.13. it is S. Peters: Gird up the loynes of your minde (your fainting hearts) be sober, [...], and hope to the end for the grace (i. the glory) that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ: Hope to the end, or perfectly for that grace; and let that hope bee the Girdle, to gird up the loynes of your minde, &c. Wee must hope; therefore wee may hope for a re­ward, &c.

3. 3. The instan­ces of By the many Instances, even of men regenerate, that did looke at the reward promised: It is a generall descrip­tion of good and holy men in Scriptures; by their Hope, and expectation of the Promises: Luc. 2.25. Old Simeon waited for the Consolation of Israel. Joseph of Arimathea looked for the Kingdome of God. Mat. 15.43. Heb. 11.10. Phil. 3.20 Titus 2.13. 2 Pet. 3.14. Rom. 8.19 Abraham looked for a Citie. Wee looke for the Saviour, who shall change our vile bodie: Looking for the blessed hope, &c. Seeing ye looke for such things, &c. Nay more; their hope is called, the earnest expectation of the creature, [...], which signifies such an intense expectation, as men expresse, when they looke for some lon­ged for friend, and stand fixing their eyes, and thrusting them almost out of the holes of their heads; as if they would send their eyes to meet them, whom they think too long in com­ming: Yea, if more may be, the Apostle hath another word, [Page 65]more emphaticall, Heb. 11.13. [...] They saw the Promises afarre off (by their faith) and embraced them, saluted them (so is the word) by their hope: They looked so earnestly for them, as if they had sent their hearts afore to salute them, which, yet they might not perfectly injoy; In particular:

1. Moses, a man of God without exception, & regenerate, 1. Mose [...]. (lest any might object: We deny not the use of these to men unregenerate, to draw them on, till Love may come in place) This Moses, (I say) as good as he was, was glad to strengthen himselfe from the Hope of Reward; He had an eye, Heb. 11.26. (one eye at least) to the recompence of Reward. If Moses so good and holy a man as Moses, had use, and it seemes, need of this helpe; how much more we, who (boast we what we will) I feare come farre short of Moses's perfection. If any shall say (as some will) This was under, or before the Law; but the time of the Gospel, is a time and state of greater perfection: Take another,

2. Those Christians whom S. Paul testifies of in this manner, You suffered with joy the spoyling of your goods: 2. Primitive Christians. Heb. 10.34. what ground of encouragement had they? did they if pure­ly and meerely out of the strength of their Love? heare on; Knowing that you have in heaven a better and more endu­ring substance. A man will not throw away foule water, (we say) till he hath hope at least, of faire. Nor would they (I suppose) so joyfully have parted with their earthly sub­stance, had they not had an expectation of an heavenly. But a weakenesse in them, to be checked, rather than allowed? marke what followes: he encourages them to it still; still to make use of their hope; Cast not away therefore your confi­dence, which hath great recompence of reward. Verse 35 But lest any should say, These were weaklings in the Faith, and not per­fect in Love, I adde.

3. Adam in innocencie: who certainly, 3. Adam. being created after the Image of God, was perfect in righteousnesse and holinesse; and if ever man did, hee might Love the Lord, with all his might, &c. yet even Adam (it seemes) had need [Page 66]of the same helpes; that we now have, the feare of punish­ment on the one side; In the day thou eatest, thou shalt die the death; and the Hope of reward on the other side, Doe this, and thou shalt live; which was the tenure of the old covenant, as we all know: If Adam, much more we. If any yet shall say, Adams was but a naturall love, but ours now is Supernaturall; I adde but one more:

4. 4. Christ him­selfe. Christ himselfe: the second Adam, both perfect and strong every way, and therefore (wee may thinke) needed not such helpes; as we doe: yet Christ himselfe (I doe not say, needed, I say) used this supportation of his Hope; and of reward set before him: The Apostle is plaine, Who, for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despi­sed the shame. Heb. 12, 2. Would we thinke Christ himselfe, so strong as he was, would use this Helpe, if it were not lawfull to be used? Or shall we think our selves stronger then he, that we can goe without it? All which (to adde no more) are a sufficient justification of the point propounded: But wee have beside to confirme it

4. 4. Reasons. By Reasons why it is lawfull, yea usefull for us so to doe.

1. 1. Our weak­nesse. Our Weaknesse; which casts us upon a necessitie of all the helpes, that can bee afforded us. It is true that S. John speakes, Perfect love casts out all feare; and hee that fea­reth is not perfect in love▪ 1. Joh. 4.18. And it may peradventure be ap­plyed as well to Hope, Perfect love casts out all Hope; and he that hopeth is not perfect in love: I said, peradventure it may be applyed to Hope; for I suppose, both Adam and Christ were perfect in love, and yet made use of their Hope: And we shall heare anon [...], that even in heaven, the Saints both now Have, and ever shall have use of their hope: but grant it for the present, Perfect love casts out all Hope, and needs no helpe but her owne: Then I assume, But no man living is perfect in Love; and therefore no man living but hath need of his Hope, to be assistant to the imperfections of his love: He that hopeth (I grant for the present too) is not perfect in love; But I assume againe, Wee are not indeed [Page 67]perfect in love; and therefore we have need of hope: We know but in part, and therefore we beleeve but in part, and therefore hope but in part, and therefore love but in part; and therefore yeeld but a partiall and imperfect obedience, Our Obedience is measured by the degree, of our Love, our love by our Hope, our hope by our Faith, our Faith by our Knowledge; which being but in part, causes an imperfection in all the rest: The truth is (however some presume, upon their strength) our weaknesse is such, that while, we carry about with us the old man, we must expect to goe stooping a little to the ground; and support our selves with these two staves, of Feare for the left hand, and Hope for the right hand, to stay up our Love from falling in the way.

2. Our Humilitie requires as much: 2. Our Humi­litie. that seeing God himselfe (who knowes us better than we our selves, and pit­ties us as a father his children) allowes us these helpes; it is but fit, we should with all thankfulnesse make our use of them. When God had said, It is not good for man to bee a­lone, I will make him an helper fit for him; had Adam, out of the confidence of his owne strength, as being innocent, and free from all sinfull concupiscence, refused so gracious a tender, I suppose it would not have been well taken: The Lord himselfe, of his owne good pleasure, profered Ahaz a signe; Aske thee a signe, aske it in the depth, Isai. 7.11.&c. or in the height above. And he returnes peremptorily, out of a foolish mo­destie, I will not aske, neither will I tempt the Lord: But marke how roundly the Prophet takes him up, Heare ye now, O house of David, is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you wearie my God also? It is not Humilitie, but horrible pride and presumption to refuse and reject Gods offers (upon what pretences of strength soever) and in a manner to scorne his helpes, which hee had never granted, but out of his infallible knowledge of our necessitie. It is not good (sayes God) for Love to be alone, I will allow her Hope and (if need be,) Feare too, to be her helpers. It be­comes then our modestie, in an humble sense and acknow­ledgement of our well-knowne weakenesse, to accept, and [Page 68]make use of our so graciously allowed Helper.

Application foure fold: ForAnd thus having sufficiently confirmed the point, that it is lawfull, yea very usefull for us to make use of our Hope, in eying the promised reward; Let us make it yet more use­full to our selves, by Application: It will yeeld us a

1. 1. Confutation of Antino­mists, by Confutation, of the conceited perfection of the New Family of Love, if I may so call them; who no lesse igno­rantly than presumptuously, cry downe this doctrine, that I have thus strongly confirmed; I meane the Antinomists, or, if you will, the Anomists of our time; who pretend, that they are so full of Love, that they scorne to be beholden either to Feare or Hope: They doe nothing, they, either for Feare of punishment, or Hope of reward; but all out of pure and meere Love of God: Neither doe they thinke a childe of God, a regenerate man, ought to doe any thing with re­spect either to the one or the other. For the fuller and clea­rer conviction of this their errour, wee proceed in this me­thod and manner, First by way of Opposition of our former Truth to their errour: Secondly, by way of Proposition of the many absurdities that will follow upon that opinion: Thirdly, by way of Exposition of the principall grounds of that their errour.

1. 1. Opposing this Truth to their errour: For, Whereas they say, a regenerate man ought to doe no­thing out of Hope of reward, but all out of Love, which per­haps hath received warmth and strength from that common received position of some Divines, That a child of God should serve God, though there were neither heaven to re­ward him, nor hell to punish him: I answere;

1. 1. Love is not perfect. It is one thing to say, what we should doe; another what we doe, or can doe: The command indeed is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. which if it were perfectly performed, might, perhaps, exclude the [...]ise of Hope or Feare; but let mee see that man that ever did so love God; that durst say, hee did so; except the old Catharists, and insolent Papists, and these late upstart Per­fectists: What? are these men more perfect then Moses? yet hee had an eye to the recompence of reward: Are they [Page 69]better than S. Peter? I doubt not but he loved Jesus Christ as well and as strongly as they; and presumed upon the strength of that Love, as much as they can doe, that though all men denyed him, yet would not hee: And yet you know how shamefully hee denyed his master, three times. But what? are they stronger than Adam in innocencie? His love, though supported both with Hope and Feare, failed him miserably, as lamentable experience tels us: However, though they stick not, some of them with little lesse than blasphemie, to say, they are as perfect as Christ, Christed with Christ, &c. yet, I hope, they are not yet come to that height of pride, to thinke themselves more perfect than Christ: who for the joy that was set before him, endured the crosse, &c. what strange presumption is this? Mee thinkes I see them like little children, that have newly gotten their feete; who, proud and confident of their owne strength, re­fuse the hand of the Nurse; and will needs be going alone; till falls and broken faces teach them more wit. Certainly, this presumption of theirs, presages some fearefull fall, to the disgrace of their Profession, and scandall of Religion; Let them but remember S. Peter, and I will say no more, but with Saint Paul, Let him that thinkes he stands, 1. Cor. 10. take heed lest he fall.

2. I adde, Their argument is infirme and insufficient; 2. If it were, yet Hope usefull. A Christian must doe all out of Love, therefore nothing out of Hope; or expectation of reward. This is to make the Graces of God to fall out one with another, which sweetly do agree; A good thing may be done in Love of God, and yet in Hope of Reward too: Hope and Love are not contraries, but co­ordinate, like a paire of twinne-sisters, the daughters of one mother, Faith: or rather subordinate, and therefore may well concurre to the producing of the same effect; we may say, (as the Apostle of Faith) Hope works by Love, and Love workes from Hope; as the Soule works by the hand, and the hand works from the Soule. And indeed, Love proceeds more immediately from Hope, then from Faith: These three, (this is their order) Faith, Hope, Love; Faith is the [Page 70]ground of things hoped for, and so of Hope; and Hope is the ground of Love, as Love of Obedience: Why then should Love thrust out Hope, her mother, from any in­fluence into her actions? It is in Love, but yet by Hope.

3. 3. Hope shall never cease: confirmed by reason. I say yet further, (ex abundanti) whether wee ever shall be so perfect, as to doe all our services to God, out of pure love, and nothing at all out of Hope; whether here on earth, or hereafter in heaven, is a disputable question. It seemes probable we shall not; I give my reasons, but sub­mit them to the censure of the judicious; They are these:

1. Our Love of God, depends upon our knowledge of God, (ignoti nulla cupido) Our knowledge of God is onely of his back parts, as himselfe cals them; which are such qua­lities, Exod. 34.6. as have respect to us; The Lord is mercifull, gra­cious, long suffering, &c. not such as describe him absolutely in himselfe, as he is Goodnesse it selfe: His Goodnesse abso­lute is onely knowne to himselfe, and therefore onely (so) loved by himselfe: I conclude then, we cannot Love him but with respect to his Goodnesse to us, which is the object of our Faith and Hope; and so not without some mixture of Hope; that's the first.

2. Vide Aquin. 22 ae.q. 19. a. 6. c. Selfe-love, (if moderate) is a naturall Impresse of God upon a mans Soule; and therefore (it seemes) to make a man love any thing for it selfe, without some respect to himselfe, were to destroy mans nature: Praise the Lord, for he is good: why? for his mercy endureth for ever.

3. Aquin. 12. e.q. 40. a. 7. c. Ames. Theolog. l. 2. c. 7. §. 2. Love proceeds from Hope, as the effect from the cause: For there we Love a thing, because we hope to receive some good from that thing; we doe not (properly and di­rectly) hope in any thing because wee love it, but onely by accident, in as much as we beleeve, we are beloved of it: Hence it will follow, that we cannot love God, but because we first hope in him, as the Author of all our Good; and so hope will ever have Ingredience into our Love.

4. This is certaine, in the Judgement of the best Divines, that the Saints in heaven now have not lost their hope; they live in hope of the Resurrection of their bodies, My flesh [Page 71]shall rest in hope, Psal. 16.9. No, Psal. 16.9. nor after the resurrection ever shall lose their Hope; though there be some difference betweene our hope now, and then theirs and ours: For ours 1. ariseth from Faith, theirs from sight: 2. Faith & Hope how said to cease in hea­ven. Ours is with labour and contention, theirs without all difficultie. 3. Ours is imperfect, theirs perfect. That received opinion of Di­vines, that Faith and Hope shall cease in heaven; Vide Ames. Theolog. Pemble Vindiciae. p. 198. & 199. is not to be understood of the Essence, or substance of those graces; but of their imperfection , and manner of their use: Faith shall be perfected by Vision, and Hope by Fruition: Wee shall then see, what now we beleeve; and enjoy, what now wee hope for. Yet shall there bee still use both of Faith and Hope; in as much as there shall for ever be something that wee shall never fully see; something that we shall never totally and together enjoy: the Infinite essence and Good­nesse of God, which no creature can comprehend: and the Eternitie of Happinesse, which no creature can at once and together possesse; and therefore shall have use of Faith to beleeve the one, and Hope to expect the other; Those ex­ceptions therefore of the Schooleman may be easily answe­red both concerning Faith and Hope; Aquin. 12. ae.q. 67. a. 3. c. Ibid. art. 4. c. That because Faith is that whereby we beleeve what we doe not see; and in hea­ven shall see that which now we beleeve, therefore it is im­possible that Faith should remaine. And againe, because we hope for that which wee have not; and in heaven, have in possession, that wee now hope for, therefore it is impossible hope should remaine in heaven; For I assume, against him­selfe; But in heaven, there shall bee alwayes something which wee shall not see; and something we shall not enjoy, (without any derogation to our happinesse) unlesse hee will deifie the creature; therefore there shall be still use of Faith and Hope in heaven: And this may bee illustrated by the contrary Feare of the damned; which feare being (contrary to Hope) an expectation of evill to come, though the Feare that now wicked men have of hell shall cease, when they once come in hell, feare being turned to present sense and feeling; yet they shall be tormented with the feare and ex­pectation [Page 72]of the eternall succession of their torments, which shall be one of the worst pieces of their hell: So on the contrary side; The Divels belive and tremble. Jam. 2.19. Pemble ubi supra, p. 197. though Hope in the Godly, in regard of the complement of their Happinesse, shall cease, being turned into fruition; yet in regard of the eternitie of that fruition, their Hope shall be extended to eternitie: and this shall be no small portion of their Happinesse. His distinction be­tweene the feare of the damned, and hope of the blessed; that feare may better bee in the damned, than hope in the blessed, because (forsooth) in the one there shall be a succes­sion of punishments, and so there shall be a respect of futu­rition or time to come; and in the other, the glory shall be without succession, after a certaine participation of eternity, in which there is neither time past, nor to come, but onely present: I say, this distinction is not true, (as I suppose) because there is the same succession of Happinesse in heaven, as of torments in hell; in regard of the creatures, who be­ing finite, cannot infinitely at once enjoy their eternall happinesse: God onely being infinite and onely eternally, at once and together enjoying his owne happinesse: But enough of that: I now rejoyne; If there be, (as its proba­ble) a continued existence of Hope, and wee shall have al­wayes Hope attending upon our Love, its as probable that Hope shall not be idle; but exercised often, if not continu­ally, in viewing of its object, and that view cannot but ex­cite our love to all holy obedience, and that for ever: If not, then heare—

2. 2. Proposing the many Ab­surdities of their opinion: For, The many Absurdities that will follow if that opini­on may be granted, that a Christian hath no use of his hope to encourage himselfe in the service of God.

1. 1. They make void the Pro­mises. They vilifie, yea nullifie the Promises of God, made to us in Scripture, at least in regard of a regenerate man: For to what end are the Promises made to our obedience, if, for the better and more cheerefull performance of our obe­dience, we may not, by the eye of hope, looke at them? To what purpose were Colours made, if the eye must be debarred the sight of them? or musicall sounds, if the eare may not [Page 73]be permitted to heare them? &c. Take away the use of the Sense, and take away the object of that Sense: Take away Hope, and away with all the Promises.

2. They cannot evacuate Hope; but all other graces will vanish with it: The Graces of God are like a Chaine, 2. Destroy all Graces: as draw but one linke, all the rest will follow; Adde to your Faith vertue, &c. Take away Hope, and take away all.

1. Joy; which (much of it) arises from Hope: 1. Joy. Rom. 12.12. and 5. 2. Rejoycing in hope. Rom. 12. 12. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5. Lively hope— wherein ye rejoyce, 1. Pet. 1. 3, 6. Yea the greatest and strongest part of our Joy springs from Hope; 1. Pet. 1.3, 6. That we might have strong consolation, who for a refuge, Heb. 6. 18. have laid hold on the hope set before us, Heb. 6.18.

2. Patience; which likewise is the daughter of Hope; 2. Patience . Rom. 8.25. If we hope for the things we see not, we do with patience wait for them, Rom. 8.25. called therefore the Patience of Hope, 1. Thes. 1.3. For joy set before him, 1. Thes. 1.3. endured the Crosse, Heb. 12. 2. &c.

3. Faith it selfe is likewise in danger; For though Faith 3. Faith. be the mother of Hope; yet Hope is the staffe and strength of Faith; and were it not for Hope, Faith it selfe would soone languish: Sanguis fidei, spes. Hope is as the blood of Faith: Clem. Alex­andr. In the body, the blood is vehiculum animae; the charet of the soule, the life running in the blood; take away the blood, and you take away life: so take away Hope, Hoc Ipsum quod Christiani su­mus, fidei ac spei res est. Cypr. de Bono patient. and Faith will soone expire: and therefore it is that Faith and Hope are so often joyned together in Scripture; That your Faith and Hope might be in God▪ 1. Pet. 1. 21 We, through the spirit, wait for the hope of righteousnesse, by faith, Gal. 5. 5. And we are said to be saved by hope Rom. 8. 24 as well as by Faith. Take away Hope, and take away Faith.

4. Love also will not bee long after, 4. Love it selfe. if you take away Hope; for Love it selfe (as I said) proceeds from Hope, as well, and more immediately than from Faith: This is their order, in regard of causalitie and generation, as the Schoolman cals it; Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith produces Hope, and Hope produces Love; Because we Hope to ob­taine [Page 74]those good things promised to, and beleeved by Faith; therefore we are moved to love him, that hath promised, and will performe them: Faith saies (saies devout Bernard) there are great and glorious things laid up for Gods Saints; Hope saies, In Psal. Qui habitat. 5.10. they are reserved for me; Love saies, I runne to them and embrace them: Faith beleeves them, Hope ex­pects them, Bern. de pass. Dom. c. 43. Quantum quis credit, tantum speral; quan­tum sperat, tan­tum amat. and Love at last enjoyes them: And this is true, Looke how much a man beleeves, so much hee hopes; how much he hopes, so much the more hee loves. Love indeed proceeds both from Faith and Hope; but in a different consideration: From Faith, as Faith apprehends the mer­cy as present; from Hope, as Hope expects the same mercy as future: A resemblance of the Trini­ty. Or rather, we may see some resemblance of the Trinitie in the proceeding of these three Theologicall ver­tues one from another: Hope issues from Faith alone, as the Sonne from the Father: Love proceeds from Faith and Hope, as the Holy Ghost from both the other persons: Take away Hope then, and you destroy not onely this Trinity, these three, Faith, Hope and Charitie; but also the Unitie of procession, and the very Essence of Love; as the joynt is­ssue of Hope and Faith. In a word, Hope both breeds and perfects Love; we could not so love God for what hee hath done, but for the Hope of what hee will doe; so that I may apply that of the Apostle hither; 1. Cor. 15.19. If we have Hope onely in this life, we were of all men most miserable. Those then that stand so much for Love, to the vilifying, yea nullifying of Hope, will in the end prove in themselves a nullitie of Love. Little Hope little Love: No hope, no Love at all.

5. 5. All Obe­dience. Lastly, (which they little thinke) all Christian obe­dience is thus indangered, or at least, a great part of it: For take away Hope, even hope of reward, and what will be­come of all good workes? 1. Cor. 9.10. [...]. Chr [...]s. Tom. 5. p. 175. Does not every reasonable crea­ture worke out of Hope? He that ploweth, ploweth in hope; and hee that thresheth, thresheth in hope: The Souldier warres in hope of victorie and spoile; the Mariner goes to sea, in hope of gaine; and so of the rest. If you think this hope hath no influence into our Christian obedience; heare [Page 75]the Apostle; Hee that hath this hope; (to be like him) pur­geth himselfe as hee is pure: 1. Joh. 3.3. 1. Joh. 3.3. And heare Saint Paul for both the parts of Sanctification; Seeing wee have such Promises (to bee the sonnes and daughters of God, 2. Cor. 7.1. in the end of the former chap.) Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit; there's the first; Perfe­cting holinesse in the feare of God; there, the second: Hope therefore is a speciall Principle of New Obedience, and that because, 1. of the excellence and difficultie of the object, Aquin. 12 ae. q. 40. a. 8.0. which excite and sharpen diligence, and 2. also in regard of the delectation and delight, the proper issue of Hope, which furthers and quickens operation; as he well observes: They then, that cry downe Hope, cry downe (by consequence) all holinesse and obedience. And now, I hope they will consi­der, they have brought the matter to a faire passe; that by ta­king away one grace, have subverted all; Joy, Patience, Faith, Love, and all Obedience. But we have more to say yet.

3. The manifest injurie they doe to a Christian Soule, 3. Despoile a Christian, of de­priving him of so necessarie a furniture, as Hope is: we will expresse it by a double Metaphor; of a Souldier, of a Ma­riner.

1. Of a Souldier by land; Our life is a spirituall, 1. His Helmet. and continued Warfare; There is a Panoplie, or whole-armour commanded to bee put on, Ephes 6. Amongst the rest, Ephes. 6.17. the Helmet of Salvation; which, what it is, Saint Paul him­selfe tels us in another place, And for an Helmet, the Hope of Salvation. 1. Thes. 5.8. 1. Thes. 5.8. They then that deny a Christian this use of his hope, send him into the Field without his helmet, and so expose him to certaine danger.

2. Of a Mariner, by sea, 2. The wind at sea. then Hope hath a double use un­der a double Metaphor in Scripture:

1. Of the Wind, Heb. 6.11. [...], Heb. 6.11. the full gale (so the word imports) or full assurance of hope. If the Christian Soule be a Ship (sailing in the sea of this world) Faith may represent the Pilote, and Love the Saile; but Hope is the Wind, that must fill that Saile: Let the Pilote be never so confident, the Saile spread to the utmost, yet if it want a [Page 76]good gale of Winde, the ship lies becalmed; and her course is ever quicker or slower, as the wind rises or fals: A Chri­stian on earth without Hope, is a Ship at Sea without winde.

2. His Anchor. He [...]. 6.19. [...]. Chrys ad Theod. Laps. [...]p. 2. Tom. 6. p. 61. Of an Anchor: Heb. 6.19. which hope wee have as an Anchor of the soule, sure and stedfast, &c. A Ship may sometimes have too much, or a contrarie Winde; and then shee hath need of an Anchor to fixe her, from being carry­ed away, especially when shee drawes nigh her desired ha­ven. Let Faith be the Ship, if you will, (and wee heare of some that make Shipwrack of Faith) Let Love bee the Merchandize, or passenger, to bee conveyed to heaven (when Faith and Hope, in a sort, cease, and stay behinde) yet Hope is the Anchor, that fixes the Ship from being tossed to and fro, and carryed away with every winde of do­ctrine, or wave of temptation, till Love the passenger, or merchandize be landed in the haven: As the Ship with all her tacklings and the Anchor, lye still at Sea, but the passen­gers and commodities are transported on Land: They then that deny this use of Hope, expose the Soule to certaine dan­ger; either to be becalmed for want of Winde; or to bee carryed away, for want of an Anchor: If this be not enough, heare all:

4. 4. Incurre harsh cen­sures. The harshnesse of the Censure they are like to under­goe by this opinion: For if there bee no such use of Hope, then marke,

1. Either they are not yet converted, but in the state of Nature still; as being such as the Apostle sayes the Ephesi­ans were, without hope, Ephes 2.12. before their Con­version.

2. Or else, that they have lost their hope, after once they had it, 1. Pet. 1.3.in Conversion; which cannot be, seeing a rege­nerate man is begotten againe to a lively hope.

3. Or else, (which some doe not sticke to affirme) that we have alreadie all wee hope for that is, all alreadie glory­fied: For if wee may not hope for any more, it is, as if there were no more to bee hoped for: And this is it, which [Page 77]some both senselesly and ridicuously have affirmed (and well they may, upon their former opinion) that our glory in heaven shall be no other, no more, See M ^r Burtons Gospel and Law reconci­led pag. 35. Rom. 5. 2. than what we have alrea­dy, but only in our sense and apprehension; Contrary to the plaine text of the Apostle, We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God These, and many more perhaps, are the Absurdities wherewith this Novell opinion is heavily pressed; which we leave to their more serious consideration: and deliver

3. The grounds of this their errour, 3. Expoun­ding the grounds of their errour, as farre as wee can conceive, and there are these two, the common mothers of most errours:

1. Pride, 1. Pride. and strange presumption of their owne perfe­ction, and of the strength of their own (supposed) Love; that they can, and doe love God so well, that they need not be beholden to any inferiour helps; contrary to the experience of all good hearts, in all times, who were glad, and thankfull for these supportations of the weakenesse of their imperfect Love.

2. Ignorance, 2. Ignorance of three par­ticulars. the fertile Uterus igno­rantae. Tertull. Apol. wombe of all errours and here­sies whatsoever; However these men thinke themselves wise, and able enough to teach their teachers, yet this opini­on manifests a manifold ignorance. We instance some par­ticulars:

1. Of the true distinction and use of Faith, Hope, 1. Of the na­ture and order of Faith, Hope and Charitie, and Charitie; and that's the reason, that Faith and Love have devoured Hope betweene them: For let me aske them, Why doe they doe good workes? They will answere, Because they Love God. I aske againe, Why doe they love God? Because of their Faith; whereby they beleeve the Goodnesse of God shewed toward them: All this is true, but not enough; for they should have taken in Hope between Love and Faith, and said, Wee love him, because we hope in him; and hope in him, because we beleeve in him: For this is the right order of these Graces. The good man is compared to a tree, Psal. 1. the roote of this tree, is Faith; the stemme or bodie of it, is Hope; the branches of it, is Love; the fruit of it, are Good workes: Now it is true indeed, the fruit [Page 78]growes immediately upon the branches, Good workes pro­ceed from Love; but the branches grow next upon the stemme, and not upon the root immediately, that is, Love proceeds from Hope, and Hope from the roote of Faith: Let them learne this, and then they will not exclude Hope: but give it its due place.

2. 2. How a free gift and a Re­ward may stand together. Of the possible Union of a Free-gift, with a Reward: For thus they seeme to reason; If all be of Free-gift, then is there no reward; is there no reward; if no reward, then no hope of reward. But this is their ignorance; Free gift and reward agree well enough together; The same thing may bee a Free gift, as not being merited by us; and a reward, as so promised by God; and then it is Just with him to performe his owne promise: The ignorance of this, is one cause of the popish Merit; Where there is a reward, there is Merit, say our Rhe­mists: and these men for feare of Merit have utterly re­nounced all reward; whereas, wee say, There is a reward, where there is no Merit; and where there is a Free gift, there may be a reward notwithstanding, freely promised, and faithfully performed.

3. 3. Of the right use of the Law. Of the right use of the Law, to a regenerate man; and this is the Source and spring-head of all their erronious conclusions; For if there be no Law, it will follow; Then first, there is no use of promises; if no promises, then no re­ward; if no reward, then no hope of Reward: Againe, if there be no Law, then are there no good workes; (for no worke is good without a command) if no good works, then no reward; and so no Hope: As on the contrarie, If there be no Law, then no sinne; if no sinne, then no punishment; if no punishment, then no Feare: So that this first Absur­ditie being granted, all the rest will follow; which I earnest­ly desire they would seriously consider. And so I leave them, and come to a second use of

2. 2. Iustification of our practise. Justification of our practise; I meane of us Ministers who urge upon men, even the best men, the dueties of Reli­gion, as with feare of punishments on the one side, so with Hope of Reward, on the other side: For which our method, [Page 79]we are by these Novellists, stiled Legall Preachers, &c. But I would gladly be resolved by any reasonable man, why wee may not as well use the like arguments, as (I say not the prophets of old) Christ and his Apostles in the New Testa­ment? why may it not be as lawfull for me, to exhort men to the patient suffering of persecution, and that with joy, as for our Saviour, with the same argument; For great is your reward in heaven? why may not I provoke men to an en­devour of perfect Holinesse, with remembrance of the Promi­se of God, the object of Hope, as S. Paul did his Corin­thians, Seeing we have these Promises, &c. 2. Cor. 7.1.

3. Admiration, at the never enough admired Goodnesse of God, and our owne badnesse: His Goodnesse, 3. Admira­tion of that will omit no meanes to doe us good; Commands, 1. Gods Good­nesse. promises, threatnings; to worke upon our Love, by the Goodnesse of his Commands; to perswade our Hope by the Sweetnesse of his Promises; and (if these will not prevaile) to scare us from our wicked courses, by the terrours of his threatnings: He might (as Kings) command and expect our obedience; or punish our disobedience; but no meanes shall be omitted to worke us unto Good. Our owne badnesse, 2. Our owne Badnesse. that will ad­mit scarce any of his meanes to doe our selves Good: Nor Commands, nor promises, nor threats can prevaile with ma­ny (too many of us) either to forsake evill, or doe good: What mettall are we made of, that no course can work with us! A King a mortal! man, commands, and wee obey; he threatens, and we quake; he promises and we runne: O the lamentable badnesse of our hearts; O the admired Goodnesse of our God! &c.

4. Exhortation; that seeing we know our libertie, 4. Exhorta­tion; where wee learne to use it; to provoke our selves unto Good workes, by the Hope of the promised Reward: Bee not so ignorant, as not to know it; or so proud and presumptuous, as to re­fuse such gracious Helpes, as God in mercy hath afforded us: We say to you, in the words of S. Paul, (and why may we not?) Cast not away your confidence (which is nothing but a confirmed Hope) which hath great recompence of Heb. 10. 35. [Page 80] reward: And againe, Be not weary of well-doing, for in due season you shall reape, Gal. 6.9. if you faint not. And with S. Peter, Gird up the loynes of your minde, and hope to the end, &c. Yet take some Cautions with you, 1. The Diffe­rence of Good and bad, in use of Hope. for your better directi­ons in the use of your Hope: For there is a Hope of reward lawfull, there is another unlawfull; Both good and bad are carryed with hope of Reward, but you shall observe a palpa­ble difference, in these particulars:

1. 1. In the Ob­ject hoped for. A wicked man lookes at the present, not regarding the future; at a Temporall, not an eternall reward; Like that prodigall child, Father give mee the portion of goods, &c. what profit, (present profit) is there in serving of God, say they, Mal. 3.14. Who will shew us any good? What good? Corne, Psal. 4. and wine, and oyle, profit, pleasure, honour; not stay­ing or trusting to any thing hereafter: But the truly godly man lookes at things to come; and like a good child waites till the time appointed of his father; So S. Paul intimates the difference, 2. Cor. 4.18. While wee looke not at the things that are seene (as worldly men doe) but at the things which are not seene; For the things which are seene are temporall, but the things which are not seen are eternall.

2. 2. In the man­ner of expe­ctation. Wicked men looke at the reward, as a due debt, me­rited by their formall obedience; Give mee the portion of goods that belongs to me, said hee; and therefore bargaine with God for it: The godly expect it, as a speciall favour of promise; in all humility acknowledging themselves lesse than the least of all Gods mercies; that's another.

3. 3. In the end. Whereas there are three things in Scripture to bee eyed and observed, the command, the promise, and the threat­ning; and it is not possible to looke upon them all at once with two eyes: A wicked man bestowes both his eyes, one upon the threatning, the other upon the promise, but neither upon the command; A godly man, what ever he doe with one eye, to bestow it either on the promises or threatnings; the other is ever fixed upon the Command: which diffe­rence is apparant by this; that where the Command comes without an expresse promise or threatning, a wicked man [Page 81]will doe just nothing, neither forsake evill, nor doe good; Take a vaine-glorious man, tell him, God commands him to give almes; if you doe not tell him withall, You shall have applause and credite from men, if you doe it; or a curse attending you, if you doe it not; hee lies like a Ship at Sea, becalm'd for want of wind; or a Mill, that moves no lon­ger than the water runnes: yea that many times, neither Promises nor threats can make him stirre to performe an expresse command; which argues, that those commands he performes, he doth it not out of respect of the command; but either out of hope of reward or feare of punishment: On the other side take a good man, tell him, Thus saith the Lord; this is Gods will and command; though you say nothing of the promise or threatning; he is like the Cen­turions servant, if he say, Goe, he goes, &c. That's the diffe­rence that David intimates, when hee sayes unto God; I have an eye, or respect, to all thy commandements. As a good servant, that respects his Master; Let strangers say, Goe, or Come, he stirres not, because hee respects them not, though perhaps, they promise or threaten; but if his Master doe but winke with his eye, or nod with his head, intimating his pleasure, hee presently runnes. The Command of God is the wind that fils his Sailes; as that phrase is elegantly used by the Apostle, [...]; Phil. 4.12. fil­led with all the will of God; as a Saile with wind.

4. Because wicked men will pretend Conscience of a Command; there is yet another difference observable: 4. In the Or­der. and that is, That where these two meere (as sometime they doe) a Command, and a Promise; a wicked man doth it princi­pally out of the Hope of reward, and subordinates the com­mand to his owne profit. Take but an instance or two: Balaam goes to Balaac, as hee was commanded, or rather permitted by God: but the Load-stone that begun this motion was that wages of iniquitie, 2. Pet. 2.15. the Reward promised by Balaac. The like may be noted in Jehu, who drave furious­ly, in the execution of Gods command (as he would seeme) upon Ahabs familie; and in pretence cryes, Come see the [Page 82]zeale, &c. But the first Mover of all this fury (rather than zeale) was that message of the Prophet, Thus saith the Lord, I have annointed thee King over Israel. 2. King. 9.6, 7. The Kingdome was principally in his eye; and if he might have safely in­joyed that, without any further danger, I doubt whether Jehoram, and Jezabell, and the rest had dyed. With a Godly man it is quite contrary; where he hath an eye upon the Reward, he subordinates that to the command, and uses it onely as a helpe to further his execution of the command. This will the better appeare, if we sever the dutie from the reward; which meeting together, make it doubtfull (to others at least) which most prevailes to the motion. For in­stance, when Religion, and prosperitie, and peace, and cre­dite meete together, who, almost, is not religious? and it is a hard matter▪ for a by-stander, to say, which drawes most: Sever them and you shall see straight. Two Gentlemen walke together with one man at their heeles: what stran­ger can say, whom he followes? Follow them but till they part, and you shall discover the man to whom he retaines: So is it here, If to bee religious (in such times, and places, or company may purchase a wicked man danger, or disgrace, or scorne, &c. you shall see a hollow heart forsake and almost abjure Religion, and swimme along with the streame: As the stonie-ground-hearers made faire shew till persecution arose, Matth. 13. and then they were offended; which concludes strongly they followed Religion, but for Peace sake, and not Peace for Religion. Now a truly good heart, is principally drawne by Gods Command, and intire Love to Religion; which appeares by this, that sever Peace from Religion, hee still keepes on his course; and though the world frowne or scorne, or kill hee will follow his Religion still. What use then of the Hope of reward? why, indeed, if hee may have Peace with Religion, hee likes it well, and is so much more zealous in his Profession of it; but if not, he cares not for it, but will rather part with Peace than with Religion: The hope of reward is in his eye, but by the by; He takes not up his Religion for Peace, but makes his advantage of Peace, [Page 83]to advance his Religion. It is a prettie phrase of the A­postle concerning Moses, Heb. 11.26. not [...], Heb. 11.26. but [...] he cast an eye (after he had made his choice, and was going on his way) upon the recompence of reward: Not as a ground of undertaking, but as an encouragement of his undertaken journey. As if a father should bid his loving and willing childe goe of such an errand; and when he was rea­dily running, should call him backe and say; Childe, because I see you are so willing, to execute my command, looke you, here's mony to put in your purse, to spend by the way and here's a horse to carry you with more ease; and here­after I will promise you, you shall bee my heire. This no doubt, must needes put joy and spirits into the Childe, with more cheerefulnesse to performe his dutie; though he had no eye upon these in his first setting out. In a word, there are two things that further the motion of a clock, the Plummet, and the Oile bestowed upon the wheeles; the first and chiefest is the Plummet, that beginnes the motion; the next is the Oile, and that facilitates the motion. So, be it a good man hath an eye to the reward, yet the command of God is the Plummet, or prime mover; if he meet with a Promise by the way, he uses it as Oile to make his motion quicker: The command of God is the principall Mover, the hope of reward is but the subordinate helper of his course. And this, I take it, is lawfull, against all cavils and excepti­ons; A man, first looking at God, may in the next place look at himselfe, and helpe himselfe, in the service of God, with the hope of a promised reward.

And this is the thing, I have hitherto intended to urge upon you; The work of Religion is not more laborious, 2. The Motive to it. than the Reward promised is glorious: Looke not so much at the work as at the issue. What though you see no present profit, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: Hee that sowes, shall in due season reape; Good works are a seed, which ma­ny times seeme lost; and we think all is gone. No, they are a seed, which must lye a time under ground, before it can come forth: He that goeth forth and carries good seed, Psal. 126.6. shall come [Page 84]againe with joy, and bring his she [...] [...] him. I use but this perswasion; The want of this [...] the Promises of God, is the cause of all, or much of our [...] content in our cal­lings, of Magistrate, Minister, master, servant, &c. when we find not our labour successefull, or that respect which we expected upon our conscionable endevours: No man, so crossed as I; No man takes so much paines to so little purpose; No man findes such poore respects, &c. It is not because thou lookest at men, and hast not an eye upon God, and upon the promised Recom­pence of reward? It was a strong weaknesse, and a strange pu­sillanimitie for such a Prophet as Jeremie, to say upon the non proficiencie of his people, I will speake no more in the name of the Lord; Oh that I had a cottage in a garden of Cucumbers, &c. That was Heroicall of another, his fellow, I have laboured in vaine, Isai. 49.4. I have spent my strength in vaine; yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my work (or re­ward) with my God. 1. Pet. 5.2, 3. My brethren (the Lords Ministers) bee instant, preach the word, in season, out of season; be not dis­couraged by the unprofitablenesse or unthankfulnes of your people; for you serve a good Master, that will pay you your wages; and the lesse from them, the more you may expect from him: Its that wherewith the Apostle encourages ser­vants (of unthankfull and unnaturall masters) to all sincere and faithful obedience; Servants obey your masters, &c. And whatsoever ye doe, Col. 3.22, &c. doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: Knowing that of the Lord▪ ye shall receive the reward of inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ. The like I say to all estates and conditions of men; Whatsoever ye doe, doe it heartily, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the re­ward of inheritance. Oh, could we but looke up at God, and his promise of Reward, by the eye of our Hope, how easily might wee in o [...] callings passe through good report and ill report, good respect and dis-respect, and trample all the un­thankfulnesses of men under our feet! I conclude all with the words of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 10. last. Wherefore, my deare brethren, bee ye constant, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord.