TO a discourse upon these words, I cannot thinke of any fitter introduction then that wherewith our Saviour sometime began a Sermon of his, This day is this Scripture fulfil­led. And I would to God there were not great occasion to feare that a great part of it may be fullfil­led in this place.

Two things are contained in it. First the reall wicked­nesse of the generality of the men of the latter times, in the foure first verses. For by men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous boasters, proud, &c. I conceive is meant, men generally shall be so, otherwise this were nothing peculiar to the last, but common to all times, for in all times some, nay many have been lovers of themselves, covetous, boast­ers, proud, &c. Secondly, we have here the formall and hypocriticall godlinesse of the same times, in the last verse, [Page 2] having a forme of godlinesse. but denying the power there­of; which latter ordinarily and naturally accompanies the former. For as the shadowes are longest when the Sunne is lowest▪ and as vines and other fruit trees beare the lesse fruit, when they are suffered to luxuriate and spend their sap upon superfluous suckers, and aboundance of leaves: So commonly we may observe both in Civill conversati­on, where there is great store of formality, there is little sincerity: and in Religion where there is a decay of true and cordiall piety, there men entertaine and please them­selves, and vainely hope to please God with externall for­malities, and performances, and great store of that righte­ousnesse for which Christ shall judge the world.

It were no difficult matter to shew that the truth of Saint Pauls prediction is by experience justified in both parts of it, but my purpose is to restraine my selfe to the latter, and to endeavour to cleare unto you, that that in our times is generally accomplished: That almost in all places the po­wer of Godlinesse is decayed and vanished, the forme and profession of it onely remaining: That the spirit, and soule, and life of Religion, is for the most part gone, onely the outward body or carcasse, or rather the picture or shadow of it, being left behind: This is the Doctrine which at this time I shall deliver to you; and the use, which I desire most heartily you should make of it, is this. To take care that you confute, so farre as it concernes your particulars, what I feare I shall prove too true in the generall.

To come then to our businesse without further comple­ment, let us examine our wayes, and consider impartially what the Religion of most men is.

We are baptized in our infancy, that is, as I conceive, dedicated and devoted to Gods service, by our Parents and the Church, as young Samuel was by his Mother Anna, and [Page 3] there we take a Solemne vow, To forsake the Devill and all his workes, the vaine pompe and glory of the world, with all the couetous desires of it, to forsake also all the carnall desires of the flesh, and not to follow nor be led by them. This vow we take when we be children and understand it not: and how ma­ny are there who know, and consider, and regard what they have vowed, when they are become men, almost as little as they did being children: consider the lives, and publique Actions of most men of all conditions in Court, City, and Country, & then deny it if you can, that those three things which we have renounced in our baptisme, the profits, ho­nours, and pleasures of the world, are not the very Gods which divide the world amongst them, are not served more devoutly, confided in more heartily, loved more affectio­nately, then the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, in whose name we are baptized? deny if you can the daily and constant imployment of all men, to be either a violent prosecution of the vaine pompe and glory of the world, or of the power, riches, and contemptible profits of it, or of the momentany or unsatisfying pleasures of the flesh, or else of the more diabolicall humours of pride, malice, revenge, and such like: and yet with this empty forme we please and satisfy our selves, as well as if we were lively borne a­gaine by the Spirit of God, not knowing or not regarding what Saint Peter hath taught us, That the Baptisme which 1 Pet. 3. 21. must save us, is, Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answere of a good consciene unto God.

When we are come to yeares capable of instruction, many (which is lamentable to consider,) are so little regard­ed by themselves or others, that they continue little better then Pagans in a Common wealth of Christians, and know little more of God or of Christ, then if they had beene bred in the Indies. A lamentable case, and which will one [Page 6] day lye heavie upon their account, which might have a­mended it and did not. But many I confesse are taught to act over this play of Religion, and learned to say, Our Fa­ther which art in Heaven: and, I beleeve in God the Father Al­mighty: but where are the men that live so, as if they did beleeve in earnest, that God is their Almighty Father? where are they that feare him, and trust him, and depend upon him onely, for their whole happinesse, and love him, and obey him as in reason we ought to do to an Almighty Father? who if he be our Father, and we be indeed his children, will do for us all the good he can, and if he be Almighty, can do for us all the good he will; and yet how few are there, who love him with halfe that affe­ction as Children usually do their naturall Parents, or be­leive him with halfe that simplicity, or serve him with halfe that dilligence? And then for the Lords prayer, the plaine truth is, we lye unto God for the most part cleane through it, and for want of desiring indeed what in word we pray for, tell him to his face as many false tales as we make Petitions. For who shewes by his endeavours, that he desires heartily that Gods name should be hallowed, that is, holily, and religiously worshiped and adored by all men? That his Kingdome should be advanced and inlarged? That his blessed will should be universally obayed? Who shews by his forsaking sinne, that he desires so much as he should do the forgivenes of it? Nay who doth not revenge upon all occasions, the affronts, contempts, and injuries put upon him, and so upon the matter curse himselfe, as oft as he sayes forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us? How few depend upon God only for their dayly Bread, viz. the good things of this life, as upon the onely giver of them, so as neither to get nor keepe any of them, by any meanes which they know or feare to be [Page 7] offensive unto God? How few desire in earnest to av [...]yed temptation? Nay who almost is there, that takes not the Divells Office out of his hand and is not himselfe a tempter both to himselfe and others? Lastly who almost is there that desires heartily and above all things so much as the thing deserves to be delivered from the greatest evill, sinne, I meane, and the anger of God? Now beloved this is cer­taine, he that imployes not requisit industry, to obtaine what he pretends to desire, does not desire indeed, but on­ly pretends to do so: He that desires not what he prayes for, prayes with tongue only and not with his heart, in­deed does not pray to God, but play and dally with him. And yet this is all which men generally do, and therefore herein also accomplish this prophecy, having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof.

And this were ill enough, were it in private, but we a­buse God Almighty also with our publike and solemne formalities, we make the Church a Stage whereon to act our parts and play our pageants, there we make a professi­on every day of confessing our sinnes with humble, lowly, and obedient hearts, and yet when we have talked after this man­ner, 20, 30, 40, yeares together, our hearts for the most part continue as proud, as impenitent, as disobedient as they were in the begining. We make great Protestations when we assemble and meet together to render thanks to God Al­mighty, for the benefits received at his hands; and if this were to be performed with words, with Hosann'as and Hallelujahs and gloria patri's and Psalmes and Hymnes, and such like outward matters, peradventure we should do it very suffi­ciently: but in the meane time with our lives and actions, we provoke the Almighty, and that to his face, with all va­riety of greivous and bitter provocations; we do dayly and hourely such things as we know, and he hath assured [Page 6] us to be odious unto him, and contrary to his nature; as any thing in the world is to the nature of any man in the world; and all this upon poore, trifling, triviall, no temptations. If a man whom you had dealt well with, should deale so with you, one whom ye had redeemed from the Turkish slavery, and instated in some indifferent good inheritance, should make you fine speeches, enter­taine you with Panegyrickes, and have your prayses al­wayes in his mouth, but all this while do nothing that pleases you, but upon all occasions, put all affronts and in­dignities upon you, would you say this were a thankfull man? Nay would you not make heaven and earth ring of his unthankfullnesse, and detest him almost as much for his faire speeches, as his foule actions. Beloved such is our un­thankfullnesse to our God and Creatour, to our Lord and Saviour; our tongues ingeminate, and crie aloud Hosanna, Hosanna, but the lowder voice of our lives and actions is crucifie him crucifie him: We Court God Almighty, and complement with him, and professe to esteeme his service perfect freedome, but if any thing be to be done, much more if any thing be to be suffered for him, here we leave him, we bow the knee before him, and put a reed in his hand, and a Crowne upon his head, and crie, Haile King of the Iewes: But then with our Customary sinnes, we give him gall to eat, and vineger to drinke, we thrust a speare in his side, naile him to the Crosse, and Crucifie to our selves the Lord of Glory. This is not the Office of a friend to be­waile a dead freind with vaine lamentation. Sed quae volu­erit meminisse, quae mandaverit exequt, to remember what he desires, and execute what he commandes; so sayd a dying Roman to his freind, and so say I to you, To be thankfull to God is not to say, God be praysed, or, God be thanked, but to remember what he desires, and execute what he [Page 7] commands, to be thankfull to God is certainely to love him, and to love him is to keepe his Commandements, so saith our Saviour Ioh. 19. If ye love me, keepe my Comman­dements: if we doe so, we may justly pretend to thankfull­nesse, which beleive mee is not a word, nor to be perfor­med with words▪ But if we doe not so as generally we doe not, our talke of thankfullnesse is nothing else but meere talke, and we accomplish Saint Paules prophecy herein al­so: Having a forme of thankfullnesse, but not the reality▪ not the power of it.

If I should reckon up unto you, how many direct lies every wicked man tells to God Allmighty as often as he sayes Amen, to this forme of godlinesse, which our Church hath prescribed, If I should present unto you all our acting of piety, and playing of humiliation, and personating of devotion in the Psalmes, the Letanies, the Collects, and generally in the whole service, I should be infinite: And therefore I have thought good to draw a vaile over a great part of our Hypocrisy, and to restraine the remainder of our discourse to the Contrariety betweene our profession and performance, onely in two things, I meane Faith and Repentance.

And first for Faith, We professe, and indeed generally, because it is not safe to doe otherwise, that we beleive the Scripture to be true, and that it containes the plaine and onely way to infinite and eternall happinesse▪ But if we did generally beleeve what we do professe, if this were the language of our hearts as well as our tongues, how comes it to passe that the Study of it is so generally neglected? Let a booke that treates of the Philosophers stone, promise never so many mountaines of gold, & even the restoring of the golden age againe, yet were it no mervaile if few should study it, and the reason is, because few would beleeve it. [Page 8] But if there were a booke extant, and ordinary to be had▪ as the Bible is▪ which men did generally beleive to containe a plaine, and easy way for all men to become rich, and to live in health and pleasure, and this worlds happinesse, can any man imagine that this booke would be unstudied by a­ny man? and why then should I not beleive, That if the Scripture were firmely and heartily beleived, the certaine and onely way to happinesse which is perfect and eternall, it would be studied by all men, with all diligence? Seeing therefore most Christians are so cold and negligent in the study of it, preferre all other businesse, all other pleasures before it, is there not great reason to feare that many who pretend to beleive it firmely, beleive it not at all, or ve­ry weakely and faintly? If the Generall of an Army or an Embassadour to some Prince or State were assured by the King his Master, that the transgressing any point of his Commission should cost him his life, and the exact perfor­mance of it, be recompenced with as high a reward as were in the Kings power to bestow upon him can it be imagi­ned that any man who beleives this, and is in his right mind can be so supinely and stupidly negligent of this charge, which so much imports him, as to oversee through want of care any one necessary Article or part of his Commissi­on: especially if it be delivered to him in writing, and at his pleasure to peruse it every day? Certainely this absurd negligence is a thing without example, and such as perad­venture will never happen to any sober man to the worlds end: and by the same reason, if we were firmely perswaded that this book doth indeed containe that charge and Com­mission, which infinitely more concernes us, it were not in reason possible, but that to such a perswasion, our care and diligence about it, should be in some measure answerable: seeing therefore most of us are so strangely carelesse, so [Page 9] grossely negligent of it, is there not great reason to feare, that though we have professors and protestors in aboundance, yet the faithfull, the truely and sincerely faithfull, are in a manner failed from the children of men. What but this can be the cause that men are so commonly ignorant of so many articles, and particular mandates of it, which yet are as manifest in it as if they were written with the beames of the Sun. For example; how few of our Ladies and Gen­tlewomen, doe or will understand, that a voluptuous life, is damnable and prohibited to them? Yet Saint Paul saith so very plainely; She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she li­veth. 1 Tim. 5. 6. I beleive this case divinely regards not the Sex, He would say He as well as She, if there had beene occasion. Howfew of the Gallants of our time doe or will understand, that it is not lawfull for them to be as expensive and cost­ly in apparell, as their meanes or perhaps their credit will extend unto? which is to sacrifice unto vanity, that which by the Law of Christ is due unto Charity; and yet the same Saint Paul forbids plainely this excesse even to women— al­so let women (he would have said it much rather to the men) 1 Tim. 2. 9. array themselves in comely apparell, with shamefastnesse and mo­desty, not with embroidered haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly apparell; and to make our ignorance the more inexcusable, the very same rule is delivered by Saint Peter also, 1 Epist. 3. 3.

How few rich men are or will be perswaded that the Law of Christ permits them not to heape up riches for e­ver, nor perpetually to adde house to house, and land to land, though by lawfull meanes, but requires of them thus much charity at least, that ever while they are providing for their Wives and Children, they should out of the in­crease wherewith God blesseth their industry, allot the poore a just and free proportion? and when they have [Page 10] provided for them in a convenient manner, (such as they themselves shall judge sufficient and convenient in others) that then they should give over making purchase after pur­chase, but with the surplussage of their revenue beyond their expence, procure as much as lyes in them, that no Christian remaine miserably poore: few rich men I feare are or will be thus perswaded; and their daily actions shew as much; yet undoubtedly, either our Saviours generall command, of loving our neighbours as our selves, which can hardly consist with our keeping vainely, or spending vain­ly what he wants for his ordinary subsistence, layes upon us a necessity of this high liberality, or his speciall com­mand concerning this matter, Quod superest da [...] pauperibus, that [...]hich remaines give to the poore, or that which S ^t. Iohn saith 1. Ep. 3. 17. reacheth home unto it. Whosoever hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need, and shut­teth up the bowells of his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? which is in effect, as if he had said▪ He that keepeth from any brother in Christ that which his brother wants and he wants not, doth but vainely thinke that he loves God, and therefore vainely hope that God loves him.

Where almost are the men that are or willbe perswaded the Gospell of Christ requires of men Humility, like to that of little Children, and that under the highest paine of dam­nation? That is, that we should no more over-value our selves, or desire to be highly esteemed by others, no more undervalue, scorne, or despise others, no more affect pre­eminence over others, then little children do, before we have put that pride into them, which afterwards we charge wholy upon their naturall corruption▪ and yet our blessed Saviour requires nothing more Rigidly, nor more plainly then this high degree of humility, verily, saith he, I say unto [Page 11] you he speakes to his disciples affecting high places and demanding which of them should be greatest▪ except ye be converted and become as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven.

Would it not be strange newes to a great many, that not onely adultery and fornication, but even uncleanenesse and lasciviousnesse, not only idolatry, and witchcraft, but hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, and contentions, not only mur­thers, but envying: not drunkenesse onely, but revelling, are things prohibited to Christians, and such as if we for­sake them not, we cannot inherit the Kingdome of heaven? and yet these things, as strange as they may seeme▪ are plainly written; some of them by S. Peter 1 Ep. 4 ch. But all of them by S. Paul, Gal. 5. 15. Now the workes of the flesh are manifest. which are these, adultery, fernication, uncleanenesse, lasciviousnesse, &c of the which I tell you before as I have told you in times past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God.

If I should tell you that all bitternesse and evill speaking (nay such is the modesty and gravity which Christianity requires of us) foolish talke and jesting are things not allow­ed to Christians, would not many cry out these are hard and strange sayings who can heare them? and yet as strange as they may seeme, they have beene written well nigh 1600 yeares, and are yet extant in very legible Characters in the Epis [...]. to the Eph. the end of the 4. and the beginning of the 5 chap.

To come a little nearer to the businesse of our times, the cheife Actours in this bloudy Tragoedy, which is now upon the Stage, who have robb'd our Soveraigne Lord the King of his Forts, Townes, Treasure, Ammunition, Houses, of the Persons of many of his Subjects, and (as much as lyes in them) of the hearts of all of them: Is it credible that [Page 12] they know and remember and consider the example of David recorded for their instruction? Whose heart smote him when he had but cut off the hemme of Sauls garment.

They that make no scruple at all of fighting with His Sacred Majesty, and shooting Musketts and Ordnance at Him (which sure have not the skill, to choose a Subject from a King) to the extreame hazard of his Sacred Person, whomby all possible obligations they are bound to defend, do they know thinke you the generall rule without excep­tion or limitation left by the Holy Ghost for our direction 1 Sam. 26. 9. in all such cases, Who can lift up his hand against the Lords Anoynted, and be innocent? or do they consider his Com­mand Prov. 24. [...]1. in the Proverbs of Solomon. My Sonne feare God and the King, and meddle not with them that desire change. Or his counsell in the Booke of Ecclesiastes I counsell thee to keepe the Eccles 8 [...] Kings Commandement, and that in regard of the Oath of God, or because they possibly may pretend that they are ex­empted from, or unconcerned in the commands of obedi­ence delivered in the Old Testament, do they know and remember the precept given to all Christians by S. Peter. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man, for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King as Supreame, or unto Governors, as unto them that are sent by him? or that terrible sanction of the same command, They that resist shall receiue to themselves damnation, left us by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, who then were the miserable Subjects of the worst King, the worst man, nay, I thinke I may adde truly, the worst beast in the world, that so all Rebells mouthes might be stopt for ever, and left without all colour or pretence whatsoever to justifie resistance of Soveraigne power. Un­doubtedly if they did know and consider and lay close to their hearts, these places of Scripture, or the fearefull judgement which befell Cor [...]h, Dathan, and Abiram, for [Page 13] this very sinne which now they commit and with a high hand still proceed in, it would be impossible but their hearts should smite them, as Davids did, upon an infinitely lesse occasion, and affright them out of those wayes of pre­sent confusion, and eternall damnation. And then on the other side they that maintaine the Kings righteous cause with the hazard of their lives and fortunes, but by their oathes and curses, by their drunkennesse, and debauchery, by their irreligion and prophannesse, fight more powerfully against their party, then by all other meanes they do or can fight for it, are not I feare very well acquainted with a­ny part of the Bible, but that strict caution which properly concernes themselves in the booke of Leviticus, I much ddoubt they have scarce ever hard of it, When thou goest to warr with thine Enemies, then take heede there be no wicked thing in thee, not onely no wickednesse in the cause thou maintainest, nor no wickednesse in the meanes by which thou maintainest it, but no personall impieties in the per­sons that maintaine it. Beloved for the former two, we have reason to be full of comfort and considence; For what is our cause? what is that which you fight, and we pray for? but to deliver the King and all his good Subjects out of the power of their Enemies, who will have no peace but with their slaves and vassalls: and for the meanes by which it is maintained, it is not by lying, it is not by calumnies, it is not by running first our selves, and then forceing the people to universall perjury? but by a just warre, because necessary, and by as faire and mercifull a warre, as if they were not Rebells and Traitors you fight against, but Com­petitors in a doubtfull Title. But now for the third part of the caution, that, to deale ingeniously with you, and to de­liver my owne soule, if I cannot other mens, that I cannot thinke of with halfe so much comfort as the former; but [Page 14] seeing so many Ionasses imbarqued in the same ship, the same cause with us, and so many Achan's entering into Bat­tle with us against the Cananites, seeing Publicanes and sin­ners on the one side, against Scribes and Pharisees on the o­ther; on the one side Hypocrisy, on the other prophanesse; no honesty nor justice on the one side, and very little pie­ty on the other; On the one side horrible oathes, curses, and blasphemies; On the other pestilentlyes, calumnies, and perjury: When I see amongst them the pretence of re­formation, if not the desire, pursued by Antichristian, Ma­humetan, devillish meanes; and amongst us little or no zeale for reformation of what is indeed amisse, little or no care to remove the cause of Gods anger towards us, by iust▪ lawfull, and Christian meanes; I professe plainely I can­not without trembling consider what is likely to be the e­vent of these distractions; I cannot but feare that the good­nesse of our cause may sinke under the burthen of our sins: And that God in his justice, because we will not suffer his Judgements to atcheive their prime scope and intention, which is our amendment and reformation, may either de­liver us up to the blind zeale and fury of our Enemies, or else, which I rather feare, make us instruments of his ju­stice each against other, and of our owne just and deser­ved confusion. This I professe plainely is my feare, and I would to God it were likewise the feare of every Souldier in His Majesties Army; but that which increaseth my feare is, that I see very many of them have very little or none at all: I meane not that they are fearelesse towards their Ene­mies, (that's our joy and Triumph) but that they shew their courage even against God, and feare not him, whom it is madnesse not to feare. Now from whence can their not fearing him proceed; but from their not knowing him, their not knowing his will and their owne duty? not [Page 15] knowing how highly it concernes Souldiers above other professions to be religious, and then if ever when they are engaged in dangerous adventures, and every moment have their lives in their hands, When they go to warre with their Enemies, then to take heed there be no wicked thing in them.

You see▪ beloved, how many instances and examples I have given you of our grosse ignorance of what is necessary & easie for us to know, & to these it were no difficult matter to adde more. Now from whence can this ignorance pro­ceed, but from supine negligence? and from whence this negligence, but from our not beleiving what we pretend to beleive? For did we beleive firmly and heartily, that this Booke were given us by God for the rule of our Actions, and that obedience to it were the certaine and only way to eternall happinesse, it were impossible we should be such e­nemies to our selves, such Traytors to our owne soules, as not to search it at least with so much diligence, that no ne­cessary point of our duty plainely taught in it could possi­bly escape us. But it is certaine, and apparent to all the world, that the greatest part of Christians, through grosse and willfull negligence remaine utterly ignorant of many necessary points of their duty to God, and man: and there­fore it is much to be feared, that this booke, and the Reli­gion of Christ contained in it, among an infinite of profes­sours, labours with great penury of true beleivers.

It were an easie matter (if the time would permit) to present unto you many other demonstrations of the same conclusion; but to this drawne from our willing ignorance of that which is easie and necessary for us to know, I will content my selfe to adde only one more taken, from our voluntary and presumptuous neglect to do those things which we know and acknowledge to be necessary.

If a man should say unto me that it concernes him as [Page 16] much as his life is worth, to go presently to such a place, and that he knowes but one way to it, and I should see him stand still or go some other way, had I any reason to be­leive that this man beleives himselfe? Quid Verba audiam, cum facta videam, saith he in the Comedy, Protestatio contra factum non valet, sayeth the Law, and why should I beleive, that, that man beleives obedience to Christ the only way to present and eternall happinesse, whom I see wittingly, and willingly, and constantly, and customarily to disobay him? The time was that we all knew that the King could reward those that did him service, and punish those that did him dis-service, and then all men were ready to obay his Commands, and he was a rare man that durst do any thing to his face that offended him. Beloved, if we did but beleive in God, so much as most Subjects do in their King, did we as verily beleive, that God could and would make us perfectly happy if we serve him, though all the world conspire to make us miserable, and that he could and would make us miserable if we serve him not, though all the world should conspire to make us happy, how were it possible that to such a faith our lives should not be con­formable? Who was there ever so madly in love with a present penny, as to runn the least hazard of the losse of 10000 ^l a yeare to gaine it, or not readily to part with it upon any probable hope or light perswasion, much more a firme beleife that by doing so he should gaine 100000 ^ls, Now beloved the happinesse which the servants of Christ are promised in the Scripture, we all pretend to beleeve, that it exceeds the conjunction of all the good things of the world, and much more such a portion as we may possibly enjoy, infinitly more then 10000 ^l a yeare, or 100000 ^l doth a penny; for 100000 ^l is but a penny so many times over, and 10000 ^l a yeare is worth but a certaine number of [Page 17] pence, but betweene heaven and earth, betweene finite and infinite, betweene eternity and a moment, there is ut­terly no proportion, and therefore seeing we are so apt up­on trifling occasions, to hazard this heaven for this earth, this infinite for this finite, this all for this nothing, is it not much to be feared, that though many of us pretend to much faith, we have indeed very little or none at all? The summe of all which hath beene spoken concerning this point is this. Were we firmely perswaded that obedience to the Gospell of Christ, is the true and only way to present and eternall happinesse, (without which faith no man living can be justified) then the innate desire of our owne happi­nesse could not but make us studious inquirers of the will of Christ, and conscionable performers of it; But there are (as experience shewes) very few, who make it their care and businesse to know the will of Christ, and of those few a­gaine, very many, who make no conscience at all of doing what they know: therefore though they professe and pro­test they have faith, yet their protestations are not to be re­guarded against their actions, but we may safely and rea­sonably conclude what was to be concluded, That the Doctrine of Christ amongst an infinite of professors, la­bours with great scarcity of true, and serious, and hearty beleevers, and that herein also we accomplish St. Pauls prediction, having a forme of godlinesse, but denying &c.

But perhaps the truth and reality of our repentance may make some kind of satisfaction to God Almighty for our hypocriticall dallying with him in all the rest; truly I should be heartily glad it were so: but I am so farre from being of this faith, that herein I feare we are most of all hypocriticall, and that the generallity of professors is so farre from a reall practise of true repentance, that scarce one in an hundred understands truly what itis.

Some satisfie themselves with a bare confession and ac­knowledgement [Page 18] either that they are sinners in generall▪ or that they have committed such and such sinnes in particu­lar, which acknowledgement comes not yet from the heart of a great many, but only from their lipps and tongues: For how many are there that do rather complaine and murmure that they are sinners, then acknowledge and con­fesse it? and make it upon the matter rather their unhappi­nesse and misfortune, then their true fault, that they are so? such are all they who impute all their commissions of evill to the unavoydable want of restraini [...]g grace, and all their omission of good to the like want of effectuall exciting grace. All such as pretend that the Commandements of God are impossible to be kept any better then they are kept, and thus the world, the Flesh and the Devill are even omnipo­tent enemies, and that God neither doth nor will give suf­ficient strength to resist and over come them. All such as lay all their faults upon Adam and say with those rebellious Israelites (whom God assures that they neither had nor should have just reason to say so) That their Fathers had eaten sowre grapes, and their teeth were set on edge. Lastly all such as lay all their sinnes upon divine prescience, and prede­stination, saying with their tongues, O what wretched sin­ners have we beene, but in their hearts how could we help it, we were predestinate to it, we could not do otherwise.

All such as seriously so perswade themselves, and thinke to hide nakednesse with such figg leaves as these, can no more be sayd to acknowledge themselves guilty of a fault, then a man that is borne blinde or lame, with the stone or gout can accuse himselfe of any fault for being borne so; well may such a one complaine and bemone himselfe, and say, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this unhappinesse! but such a complaint is as farre from be­ing a true acknowledgement of any fault, as a bare ac­knowledgement of a fault is farre from true repentance: [Page 19] for to confesse a fault is to acknowledge, that freely and willingly, without any constraint, or unavoydable neces­sity, we have transgressed the law of God, it being in our power by Gods grace to have done otherwise. To aggravate this fault is to confesse we have done so when we might easily have avoyded it, and had no great nor violent temp­tation to it; to pretend any great difficulty in the matter is to excuse and extenuate it: but to say that all things consi­dered it was absolutely impossible for you to avoyd it, is flatly to deny it. Others there are that thinke they have done enough, if to confession of sinne they adde some sor­row for it; if when the present fit of sinne is past, and they are returned to themselves, the sting remaining breed some remorse of conscience, some complaints against their wickednesse and folly for having done so, and some inten­tions to forsake it, though vanishing and ineffectuall. These heate-dropps, this morning dew of sorrow, though it pre­sently vanish, and they returne to their sinne againe upon the next temptation as a dogg to his vomit when the pang is over, yet in the pauses betweene, while they are in their good moode, they conceive themselves to have very true, and very good repentance; so that if they should have the good fortune to be taken away in one of these Intervalla, one of these sober moodes, they should certainly be saved; which is just as if a man in a quartane Ague, or the stone, or goute, should thinke himselfe ridd of his disease as oft as he is out of his fitt.

But if repentance were no more but so; how could St. Paul have truly sayd, that godly sorrow worketh repentance? e­very 1 Cor 7. 10. man knowes that nothing can worke it selfe. The Ar­chitect is not the house which he builds, The Father is not the Son which he begets, the Tradesman is not the worke which he makes, and therefore if sorrow, godly sorrow, [Page 20] worketh repentance, certainely sorrow is not repentance: the same Saint Paul tells us in the same place, that the sorrow of the world worketh death, and you will give me leave to con­clude from hence, therefore it is not death, and what shall hinder me from concluding thus also, Godly sorrow wor­keth repentance, therefore it is not repentance.

To this purpose it is worth the observing that when the Scripture speakes of that kind of repentance, which is one­ly sorrow for something done, and wishing it undone, it constantly useth the word [...] to which forgivenesse of sinnes is no where promised. So it is written of Iudas the sonne of perdition, Matth. 27. 5. [...] he repented and went and hanged himselfe, and so constantly in other places. But that repentance to which remission of sinnes and salvation is promised is perpetually expressed by the word [...], which signifies a through change of the heart & soule, of the life and actions, [...] Mat. 3. 2. which is rendred in our last transla­tion, Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand, But much better, because freer from ambiguity in the entrance to our Common Prayer Booke- Amend your lives for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand. From whence by the way we may ob­serve, that in the judgement of those holy and learned Mar­tyrs, repentance and amendment of life are all one: And I would to God the same men, out of the same care of avoy­ding mistakes, and to take away occasion of cavilling our Liturgy from them that seeke it, and out of feare of encou­rageing carnall men to security in sinning, had beene so provident, as to set downe in termes the first sentence taken out of the 18 ^th. of Ezekiel, and not have put in the place of it an ambiguous, and (though not in it selfe, yet accidental­ly; by reason of the mistake to which it is subject,) I feare very often a pernitious paraphrase; for whereas thus they [Page 21] make it: At what time soever a Sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart, I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance, saith the Lord; The plaine truth, if you will heare it, is, the Lord doth not say so, these are not the very words of God, but the paraphrase of men: the words of God are as followeth— If the wicked turne from all the sins which he hath committed, and keepe all my Statutes, and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live, he shall not dye, where I hope you easily observe that there is no such word as▪ At what time soever a sinner doth repent, &c. and that there is a wide difference betweene this (as the word repent usually sounds in the eares of the people) and turning from all sinnes, and keeping all Gods Statutes, that indeed ha­ving no more in it but sorrow and good purposes, may be done easily and certainely at the last gaspe, and it is very strange that any Christian, who dyes in his right senses, and knowes the difference betweene heaven and hell, should faile of the performing it: but this worke of turning, keeping, and doing is (though not impossible by extraordinary mer­cy to be performed at last) yet ordinarily a worke of time, a long and a laborious worke (but yet heaven is very well worth it) and if you meane to go through with it, you had need goe about it presently. Yet seeing the Composers of our Liturgy thought fit to abreviate, Turning from all sinne, and keeping all Gods Statutes, and doing that which is lawfull and right, into this one word, repenting, it is easie and obvious to collect from hence, as I did before, from the other place, that by repentance they understood not only sorrow for sinne, but conversion from it. The same word [...] Matt. 12. 42. is used in speaking of the repentance of the Nini­vites and how reall, hearty, and effectuall a conversion that was you may see Ionas 3 from the 5 to the last verse. The People of Ninive beleeved God, and put on sackcloth from the [Page 22] greatest of them to the least of them, for word came to the King of Niniveh, and he arose from his throne, and he cast his Robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sate in ashes; and he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Niniveh, by the decree of the King and of his nobles, saying. Let neither man nor beast, heard, nor flock, taste any thing, let them not feed nor drinke water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God, yea let every one turne from his evill way, and from the violence which is in their hands, who can tell if God will turne and repent, and turne away his fierce anger that we perish not?

Which words containe an excellent and lively paterne for all true penitents to follow▪ and whereunto to conforme themselves in their humiliation and repentance. And tru­ly though their be no Ionas sent expressely from God to cry unto us Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shalbe destroyed, yet seeing the mouth of Eternall truth hath taught us, that a Kingdome divided is in such danger of ruine and destructi­on, that, morally speaking, if it continue divided it cannot stand, and seeing the strange and miserable condition of our Nation at this time, may give any considerable man just cause to feare, that as in Rehoboams case, so likewise in ours, The thing is of the Lord, intending to bring his heavy judgement upon us, for our great sinnes, and our stupid, and stupendious security in sinning, and to make us instru­ments of his designed vengeance, one upon another; per­adventure it would be a seasonable and necessary motion to be made to our King and his Nobles▪ To revive this old Proclamation of the King of Nineveh, and to send it with au­thority through His Majesties dominions, and to try whe­ther it will produce some good effect: who can tell if God will turne and repent, and turne away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? Who can tell whether he that hath the hearts [Page 23] of King and people in his hand, and turneth them whither­soever he thinketh best, may not upon our repentance take our extreamity for his oportunity, and at last open our eyes that we may see those things that belong to our peace, and shew us the way of Peace, which hitherto we have not known: but this by the way, for my purpose I obs [...]e that this repentance which, when the sword of God was drawne, and his arme advanced for a blow, stayd his hand, and sheathed his sword againe, was not a meere sorrow for their sinnes, and a purpose to leave them, nay it was not only lay­ing aside their gallantry and bravery, and putting on sack­cloth and sitting in ashes, and crying mightily unto God, of which yet we are come very short▪ but it was also and that cheifly, their universall turning from their evill way, which above all the rest was prevalent and effectuall with God Almighty, for so it is written, And God saw their works that they turned from their evill way, and God repented him of the evill that he sayed he would do, and he did it not.

In the Gospell of S. Luke. cap. 24. The condition of the new Covenant, to which remission of sinnes is promised, is expressed by the word [...] ▪ Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that ( [...]) Repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name, which place if ye compare with that in the Gospell of S. Matthew. Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the Holy-Ghost, teaching them to observe all whatsoever I shall command you. It will be no difficulty to collect, that what our Saviour calls in one place [...] re­pentance, that he calls in another observing all that he hath commanded; which if repentance were no more but sorrow for sinne, and intending to leave it, certainely he never could nor would have done: And as little could S. Paul Act. 20. 21. professe that the whole matter of his preach­ing [Page 24] was nothing else but [...] Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ: It being manifest in his Epistles, he preaches and presses every where, the ne­cessity of mortification, regeneration, new, and sincere o­bedience, all which are evidently not contained under the head of Faith, and therefore it is evident he comprized all these under the name of Repentance.

In which words moreover it is very considerable, as al­so in another place, Heb. 6. where among the fundamen­talls of Christianity the first place is given to [...] I say it is very considerable, that though the word may not very absolutely be rendred repentance, yet we shall do much right to the place and make them much more cleare and intelligible, if instead of repentance we had put conversion as it is in some of the best Latine translations: so for example, if instead of repentance to God Act. 20. and repentance from dead workes in the Epistle to the Heb. which our English tongue will hardly beare; we should reade conversion to God, & conversion frō dead workes, e­very one sees it would be more perspicuous and more natu­rall, whereas on the other side if instead of repentance we should substitute sorrow (as every true and genuine inter­pretation may with advantage to the clearenesse of the sense be put in place of the word interpreted) and read the places sorrow towards God, and sorrow from dead workes, it is apparent that this reading would be unnaturall, and almost ridiculous, which is a great argument that [...] to which forgivenesse of sinnes is promised in the Gospell, is not on­ly sorrow for sinne, but conversion from sinne.

And yet if it be not so, but that heaven may be purcha­sed at easier, and cheaper rates: how comes it to passe that in the new Testament, we are so plainely and so frequently assured, that without actuall, and effectuall amendment, [Page 23] and newenesse of life, without actuall▪ and effectuall mor­tification, regeneration, sanctification, there is no hope, no possibility of Salvation.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe Matth. 3, 10. and cast into the fire, So S. Iohn Baptist preaches repentance; it is not then the leaves of a faire profession, no nor the blossomes of good purposes and intentions, but the fruite, the fruite only that can save us from the fire, neither is it e­nough not to beare ill fruite, unlesse we bring forth good. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire.

Not every one that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven, so our Saviour Matth. 7 21. And againe after he had delivered his most divine precepts in his Ser­mon on the mount (which Sermon containes the substance of the Gospell of Christ:) he closeth up all with saying: he that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not (and yet these were the hardest sayings that ever he sayed) I will liken him to a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand, that is his hope of Salvation, upon a sandy and false ground when the raine descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beate upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall of it.

They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affecti­ons and lusts. So S. Paul. Gal. 5. 24. they then that have not done so, nor crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, let them be as sorrowfull as they please, let them in­tend what they please, they as yet are none of Christs, and good Lord what a multitude of Christians then are there in the world that do not belong to Christ?

The workes of the flesh sayeth the same S. Paul. are manifest Gal. 5, 19, 20, 21, which are these, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleannesse, Lascivi [Page 26] ousnesse, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Heresies, Envyings, Murthers, Drunken­nesse, revellings, of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God. He dothnot saythey which have done such things shall not be saved, but manifestly to the contrary —Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but you are sanctified: but he sayes; they which do such things, and without amend­ment of life shall continue doeing them, shall not be excus­ed, by any pretence of sorrow and good purposes. They shall not inherite the Kingdome of Heaven.

And againe in another Epistle, know ye not that the unrigh­teous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God? be not deceived, nei­ther fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor abusers of themselves with mankinde, nor Theeves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor revilers shall inherit the Kingdome of God.

In Christ Iesus (saith the same Saint Paul in other places) nothing availeth but faith: nothing but a new creature, nothing but keeping the Commandements of God; it is not then a wish­ing but a working faith, not wishing you were a new Crea­ture, nor sorrowing you are not, but being a new creature; not wishing you had kept, nor sorrowing you have not kept, nor purposeing vainly to keepe, but keeping his Comman­dements must prevaile with him.

Follow peace with all men and holinesse (saith the Divine Au­thour of the Epistle to the Heb.) without which no man shall see the Lord.

Saint Peter in his 2 ^d. Epistle, commends unto us a golden chaine of Christian perfections; consisting of these linkes, Faith, vertue, knowledge, Temperance, patience, godlinesse, bro­therly kindnesse, charity: and then addes—He that lacketh these things is blind, and knoweth not that he was purged from his old [Page 27] sinnes. Let his sorrow be never so great, and his desires ne­ver so good▪ yet if he lacke these things, he is blind, and was purged from his old sinnes, but is not.

Lastly Saint Iohn, he that hath this hope purifieth himselfe, e­ven as he is pure, the meaning is not with the same degree of purity, for that is impossible, but with the same kind, the same truth of purity, he that doth not purify himselfe may, nay doth flatter himselfe, and without warrant presume up­on Gods favour, but this hope he hath not; and againe, Lit­tle Children, let no man deceive you▪ he that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, even as he is righteous; And thus you see all the divine Writers of the New Testament with one consent and one mouth proclaime the necessity of reall holinesse, and la­bour together to disinchant us, from this vaine phansy, that men may be saved, by sorrowing for their sinne and inten­ding to leave it. without effectuall conversion and reforma­tion of life, which, it may well be feared▪ hath sent thousands of soules to hell in a golden dreame of heaven.

But is not this to preach workes as the Papists doe▪ no certainely it is not; but to preach workes as Christ and his Apostles doe, it is to preach the necessity of them, which no good Protestant, no good Christian ever denied, but it is not to preach the merit of them which is the error of the Pa­pists.

But is it not to preach the Lawe in time of the Gospell? no certainely it is not: for the Law forgives no sinnes but requireth exact obedience, & curseth every one which from the beginning to the end of his life, continueth not in all things which are written in the Law to doe them; but the Gospell sayes, and accordingly I have said unto you, that there is mercy alwayes in store, for those who know the day of their visitation, and forsake their sinnes in time of mercy, and that God will pardon their imperfections in the progresse of holinesse, [Page 27] who miscall not presumptuous and deliberate Sinnes by the name of imperfections; but seriously and truly endeavour to be perfect; onely I forewarne you that you must never looke to be admitted to the wedding feast of the Kings Son, either in the impure raggs of any customary sinne, or with­out the wedding garment of Christian holinesse; onely I fore­warne you that whosoever lookes to be made partaker of the joyes of heaven, must make it the cheife, if not the one­ly businesse of his life, to know the Will of God and to doe it; that great violence is required by our Saviour for the ta­king of this Kingdome, that the race we are to run is a long race, the building we are to erect is a great building, & will hardly, very hardly be finished in a day, that the worke we have to doe of mortifying all vices; and acquiring all Chri­stian vertues, is a long worke; we may easily deferre it too long, we cannot possibly begin it too soone. Onely I would perswade you, and I hope I have done, that that repentance which is not effectuall to true and timely conversion will never be available unto eternall salvation. And if I have proved unto you that this is indeed the nature of true re­pentance, then certainely I have proved withall, that that repentance wherewith the generality of Christians content themselves, notwithstanding their great professions what they are, and their glorious protestations of what they in­tend to be, is not the power but the forme; not the truth but the shadow of true repentance, and that herein also we ac­complish Saint Pauls prediction, having a forme of godlinesse, &c.

And now what remaines but that (as I said in the begin­ning,) I should humbly intreat and earnestly exhort every man that hath heard mee this day, to confute in his particu­lar what I have proved true in the generall. To take care that the sinne of formality, though it be the sinne of our [Page 28] times, may yet not be the sinne of our persons, that we sa­tisfy not our selves with the shadowes of Religion, without the substance of it, nor with the forme of godlinesse without the power of it.

To this purpose I shall beseech you to consider, that though sacrificing, burning incense, celebrating of set fe­stivalls, praying, fasting, and such like, were under the Law, the service of God commanded by himselfe, yet whenso­ever they proceeded not from, nor were joyned with the sincerity of an honest heart, he professeth frequently almost in all the Prophets, not onely his scorne and contempt of them all, as fond, empty, and ridiculous; but also his ha­ting, loathing, and detesting of them as abominable and im­pious.

The Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to God, Prov. 15. 8. What have I to doe with the multitude of your Sacrifices? saith the Lord, Esay the first, I am full of the burnt offerings of Rammes, and of the fat of fed heasts, when ye come to appeare before mee, who required this at your hands? Bring no more vaine oblations: Incense is an abomination to mee, I cannot suffer your new moones, nor sabbaths, nor solemne dayes, it is iniquity even your solemne assemblies: My soule hateth your new moones, and your appoin­ted feasts, they are a burthen to me, I am weary to beare them; and when you shall stretch out your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you, and though you make many prayers I will not beare, for your hands are full of bloud.

And againe Isa. 66. 3. He that kills an Oxe is as if he slew a man, he that sacrificeth a Lambe as if he cut off a Doggs necke, he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines flesh, he that burned incense, as if he blessed an Idol; and what's the reason of this strange aversion of God from his owne Ordinances? it followes in the next words, they have chosen their owne wayes, and their soule delighteth in their abominations.

[Page 30] Terrible are the words which he speaketh to the same purpose in the prophecy of Amos chap. 5. v. 21, 22, 23. I hate, I despise your feast dayes, and I will not smell in your so­lemne assemblies, though you offer me burnt offerings and meate offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your peace of­ferings.

Now beloved, if this hypocrisie, this resting in outward performances, were so odious to God under the law, a reli­gion full of shadowes, and ceremonies, certainely it will be much more odious to do so under the Gospell, a religion of much more simplicity, and exacting so much the greater sincerity of the heart, even because it disburdens the out­ward man of the performance of Legall rites and obser­vances. And therefore if we now under the Gospell, shall thinke to delude God Allmighty, as Micholl did Saul, with an Idoll hand somely drest instead of the true David. If we shall content and please our selves, with being of such or such a Sect or profession, with going to Church, saying, or hearing of Prayers, receiving of Sacraments, hearing, repeating or preaching of Sermons, with zeale for Cere­monies, or zeale against them, or indeed with any thing besides constant piety towards God, Loyalty and obedi­ence towards our Soveraigne, justice and charity towards all our Neighbours, temperance, chastity, and sobriety towards our selves, certainely we shall one day find, that we have not mocked God, but our selves, and that our por­tion among hypocrites shall be greater, then theirs.

In the next place let mee intreat you to consider the fearfull judgement which God hath particularly threatned to this very sinne of drawing nigh unto him with our lipps, when our hearts are farre from him: It is the great judgement of being given over to the spirit of slumber and security, the usu­all forerunner of speedy desolation and destruction, as we [Page 23] may see in the 29 chap. of Esaiah, from the 9 to the 14 vers. Stay your selves and wonder, cry ye ont, and cry, they are drunken but not with wine, they stagger but not with strong drinke: for the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deepe sleepe, and hath closed your eyes. The prophets, and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. and after, at the 14 vers The wisedome of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidde. Certainely this judgement if ever it were upon any people, we have cause to feare it is now upon us. For if the spirit of deepe sleepe were not upon us, how could we sleepe so securely even upon the brinke of the pit of per­dition? how could we proceed on so confidently in our mirth and jollity, nay in our crying sinnes and horrible im­pieties, now when the hand of God is upon us, and wrath is gone out & even ready to consume us? & if the wisdome of our wise men were not perished, how were it possible they should so obstinately refuse the security offered of our lawes, liberties, and religion by the Kings Oath, by his exe­crations on himselfe, and his posterity in case he should vi­olate it, by the oathes of all his Ministers not to consent to or be instruments in such a violation, by the so much desir­ed Trienniall Parliament, from which no transgressor can possibly be secure; and instead of all this security, seeke for it by a civill warre, the continuance whereof must bring us to destruction and desolation, or else he hath deceived us by whom we are taught. That a Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand.

Now what was the sinne which provoked this fearefull judgement? What but that which I have laboured to con­vince you of, and to disswade you from, even the sinne of hypocrisy; as we may see at the 12 ^th. verse: Wherefore saith [Page 24] the Lord, for as much a [...] this people draw neare me with their mouth, and with their lips doe honour mee, but have removed their heart farre from mee; and their feare towards mee is taught by the precepts of men, therefore behold I will proceed to doe a mer­vailous worke amongst them: for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish, &c.

Consider Thirdly what woes, & woes, & woes our Saviour thunders out against the Scribes and Pharisees for their hy­pocrisy, Woe be unto you Scribes, and Pharisees Hypocrites, and againe and againe, Woe be unto you Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypo­crites: Beloved if we be hypocrites as they were, Tith mint and Cumin, and neglect the weighty matters of the Law, judge­ment and justice and mercy, as they did: Make long prayers, and under a pretence devoure Widowes houses, as they did; Wash the outside of the dish and platter, while within we are full of ravening and wickednesse, write Gods Commandements very large and faire upon our Phylacteries, but shut them quite out of their hearts: Build the Sepulchres of the old Prophets, and kill their successors, in fine, if we be like painted Sepulchres as they were, outwardly garnished and beautifull, but within full of dead mens bones and rottennesse, wee are then to make accompt that all these woes belong to us, and will one day over­take us.

Consider lastly the terrible example of Ananias and Sap­phira, and how they were snatcht away in the very act of their sinne, and that their fault was (as the Text tells us) that they lyed unto God. Beloved, we have done so a thou­sand thousand times▪ our whole lives (if sincerely exami­ned) would appeare, I feare, little lesse but a perpetuall lye; hitherto God hath beene mercifull to us, and given us time to repent, but let us not proceed still in imitating their [Page 25] fact: lest at length we be made partakers of their fall.

God of his infinite mercy prevent this in every one of us, even for his Sonne our Saviour Jesus Christ's sake; by whom and with whom, in the unity of the holy Spirit, be all honour and glory to the eternall Father world with­out end:

Amen.