THree Workes did Salo­mon Write, that the Church of GOD might be the better for that Wisedome which the God of Wisedome bestowed vpon him, Prover­biall Sentences, Powerfull Ser­mons, and Patheticall Songs: which Workes in Canonicall Scriptures, are knowne by these names, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, each of which [Page 2] conteineth in it most excellent and heavenly matter, but the sweetest of all the rest is this Booke of the Canticles. Where­in, vnder a continued Allegorie in the forme of a Pastorall Elegie, this heavenly inspired Poet doth breath out the me­lodious straines & passages of loue mutually interchanged betweene the great Spouse Christ Iesus, and his best beloued Bride the Church. Amongst which straines this Text is one, being a part of that heavenly Dialogue betwixt Christ and his Church, comprehended in this Chapter. In which Dia­logue, two things (to make the parts of this Chapter) are considerable; first, the Prologue or Entrance into the Dia­logue, in the first six verses. Secondly, the Dialogue it selfe, from the seaventh verse to the end of the Chapter. In the Prologue, the Church doth two things; first, she expresseth her ardent desire of a coniugall communion with her hus­band Christ Iesus, in the second, third, and fourth verses. Secondly, she taketh away the scandall, partly, of the crosse which she is exposed vnto, partly, of those infirmities which she is inclined vnto, both which might be cast in her teeth by false brethren, to vpbraid her for too much saucinesse, that shee seeming so blacke, dares be so bold as to desire communion with so beautifull an husband as Christ is; and this she doth in the fifth and sixth verses.

The Dialogue it selfe comprehends in it three particulars. First, a question that the Church maketh where shee might find her Christ as a comforter in the time of affliction, as an helper in the time of temptation, in the seaventh verse. Secondly, Christ his answere to this question, in the eight verse. Thirdly, the excellent praises which they doe mutu­ally conferre each vpon the other, from the ninth verse to the end of the Chapter. Christ praising the Church in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seaventeenth verses. And the Church commending her Christ, in the words of this Text, and that from two properties which shee perceived in him,

• 1. Greatnesse in the 12. verse.
• 2. Goodnesse in the 13. verse.

The first of these, Order requireth wee should first deale withall.

BEcause the royaltie of personage, Parts of the Text. The reason [...] the division, because King in the 12. ve [...] is a stile of Greatnes, and Welbeloued in the 13. verse a title of goodnesse. costlines of provision for his Bride, and statelinesse of presence with his Bride, doe much set forth the Greatnesse of a Bridegroome: there­fore the Church here commendeth the Greatnes of HER spirituall Spouse, from these three particulars. 1. Regem non ci­trà magnificentiā nota appel­latum sponsum Mercer. ad locum. The first cir­cumstance in the first part. The mea­ning. the royal­tie of his person by the stile (KING) that shee giveth him. While the King. 2. The costlines of provision for her, by the Table which shee speaketh of, calling it His Table. 3. The statelines of his presence, by his sitting at this Table, While the King sitteth at his Table, amplified by the adiunct sweet­nesse, which her Spikenard did send vnto him, while he was thus present with her; My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

TO begin with the stile royall which shee giueth him, While the King. Howsoever Brightns. One by King here, vn­derstandeth King Asa, spoken of 2. Chron. 15. and others in the hystoricall sense, King Salomon, yet with Mercer. Piscat. others I doe rather mystically vnderstand Christ Iesus, the spirituall Salomon, and Isa. 9.6. Prince of peace. And so our Observation must be this; That the husband of the Church Christ Iesus is a King. This is a knowne Maxime, in the proofe whereof the Scrip­ture is no whit barren. The Psalmist, Doct. 1. Christ the Churches Spouse is a King. speaking in the per­son of the Church, calleth him Psal. 47.7. our King. Daniel calleth him Dan. 9.25. Messiah the Prince. And Chap. 12.1. Michaell the great Prince. S. Iohn in one place of the Revelation stileth him the Prince of the Kings of the earth Apoc. 1.5.; and in another, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords Chap. 19.16.. Herewith squareth that of Ieremy, Iere. 23.5. Be­hold the daies come, saith the Lord, that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous branch, and a KING shall raigne and prosper, and shall execute iudgement and iustice vpon the earth. The same thing spake the Angell to Mary, concerning Christ, Luk. 1.33. He [Page 4] shall raigne over the house of David, and of his kingdome shall be none end. All these testimonies (with many other which might haue beene alledged) doe manifestly shew this to be a truth, That Christ Iesus, Sions Spouse, is a King.

How Christ is a King, two wayes.And if we would know how he came by this Kingly of­fice (which must be answered before the poynt be applyed) wee must vnderstand, that he is a King two wayes.

• First, By dominion of himselfe.
• Secondly, By donation from another.

1. First, by dominion and authoritie of himselfe, and so he is Iehovah, God equall with the Father, and the holy Ghost, in vnitie of essence, equalitie of potency, maiestie, glory, and soveraigntie over all creatures.

2. He is a King by donation and gift, receiuing the king­dome (as he is [...]) or Mediator of the Church from the Father, in which regard he is called Messiah in the olde Testament, and Christ in the new, which signifie Annoynted, that is, Annoynted of the Father, and so much he testifieth himselfe; Mat. 11.27. All things, and Chap. 28.28 All power both in heaven and in earth, are giuen me of my Father. Thus the poynt is made good and made cleere. It is as vsefull as plaine. Vse 1 For, first of all it lets vs see, the notable dignitie of the Church of Christ. To heare the Psalmist calling her the DAVGH­TER of the King Psal. 45.13.: to heare Salomon stiling her the Prin­ces DAVGHTER Cant. 7.1., is to heare her dignitie vnmatcha­ble; but to heare her, her selfe (as shee is the WIFE of Christ) stiling him the King in my Text, to heare Christ the King calling her his Spousesse, his loue, his doue, his vndefiled one, &c. as he doth in more places of this Booke then one; this is to heare her excellency to be vnutterable. What ho­nour can be paralelled with it? What dignitie is compara­ble to it? Behold (saith S. Iohn) (to stirre vp attention) what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs, that we should be called the sonnes of God 1 Ioh. 3.1.. Behold, (may I say, to stirre vp admiration) what singular kindnes the sonne hath showne the Church, that shee should be the Wife of God? If by the grace of adoption, to be the BRETHREN of Christ, can command [Page 5] a Behold at our hands, then by the vertue of an holy con­iunction to be the BRIDE of Christ, must needs call for a Behold and wonder at our hands. And (to speake truth) so wonderfull is this dignitie, that except by an Allegorie I can­not set it forth. We know that that Woman which hath an earthly King to her husband, excelleth all other degrees of Women (though great and noble) in the Land where shee liueth, in divers particulars. For shee hath a more noble Guard to attend her, more royall Garments to array her, more c [...]stly Iewels to adorne her, more stately Pallaces to inhabite in, more pleasant Galleries to walke vpon, then they haue, or at least then its fit they should haue. And doth not that Apoc. 12.1. Woman cloathed with the Sunne, I meane the So Paraeus, and others ex­pound it. Church, who is contracted to the Heavenly King, excell all other sorts and societies of people in the like? Out of doubt shee doth: Emperors with all their Monarchies, Nobles with all their dignities, Captaines with all their Victories, Papists with all their prelacies, Pagans with all their excellencies, are not comparable vnto her. Her guard are the Angels of Christ Psal. 34.7. Heb. 1.14.; Her garments are the robes of Christ Apoc. 12.1.; Her iewels are the graces or Christ; Her dwelling place is the king­dome of Christ, of grace here, of glory hereafter; Her wal­king places are the wayes of Christ, for it is onely the privi­ledge of Christians to tread in the steps of their soveraigne and Saviour. Well then might the Psalmist say, Glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psal 87.3.. I know what opi­nion the world hath of the Church, deeming her of all peo­ple to be the basest, O nunquam sa­tis expensam credentium dignitatem. Muscul. in Ex­plana. Psal. 45. v. 9. Obs. 2. even the very scumme and refuse of men: I know also that her owne members in the time of temptation thinke more hardly of themselues, then there is either cause or warrant; But whatsoever the world thinkes of her, whatsoever poore Christians in the times of distresse thinke of themselues, yet it is a certaine thing, that great honour haue all the Saints Psal. 149.9.; the poynt in hand infor­meth vs of no lesse, when it saith, that Israels husband is a King.

Vse 2 Secondly, this poynt is not without its Vse, for the ene­mies of the Church; For the ene­mies of Sion. For, first it may be bent AGAINST them by way of terror. Secondly, it may be directed To them by way of counsell.

1. By way of terror.First, I say, it may be a ground of terrour AGAINST them, for the wrongs that they offer to the members of Christ. Ah poore wretches, are they aware whom they op­pose! consider they whom they set against! they persecute, wrong, oppugne, them who are the Wife of Christ Iesus, a glorious Bride, whose husband is a King; King, not onely by donation from the Father, but also by dominion of him­selfe. Meane men (yee know) if they loue their Wiues, will not see them wronged if they can helpe it, much lesse will Kings brooke the iniuries that are offered their Queenes. That treason which is spoken or plotted against them, they take as done to themselues, and will be revenged for it. And will the King of Kings, that Great Prince, Christ Iesus, doe lesse for his Wife▪ the Church? No, no: he paide too deare a price for her, as not to maintaine her cause, and avenge her quarrell: and if he vndertakes to defend her, then woe to those that offend her; Better a Mill-stone were hanged about their neckes, and they cast into the middest of the Sea.

I remember in the Booke of Ioshua, how those Ios. 10.3-26 verses. fiue Kings were served for Warring against the Gibeonites, that were entred into league with Iosuah; the Captaines trod vp­on their neckes, they were hanged vpon fiue trees against the Sunne: And will not the great Ios. 5.15. Captaine of the Lords Host tread vpon THEIR neckes, and punish THEM in his wrath, that set against those that are entred not onely in­to league, but also into contract with Iesus, our spirituall Io­suah? Be but a man a Ios. 9.27. Water-bearer to the Congregation of Israel, or a Psal. 84.10. Doore-keeper in the house of God, or like Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.11. least in the Kingdome of heaven, his wrongs shall be righted, his cause shall be avenged. What became of them that set against Daniel? were not their bones broken, and their bodies eaten with the teeth of Lyons Dan. 6.24.. How fared it [Page 7] with those that bound the three Children, and cast them into the fiery Furnace? were they not scorched to death with the fl [...]me of the fire Chap. 3.22.? Did not Act. 12.23. Lice gnaw out the bowells, and doth not a curse lie vpon the name of Herod, who murthered Iames, and imprisoned Peter, the Iam 1.1. 1 Pet. 1.1. servants of the Lord Iesus Christ? What end came Nero vnto, that vnnaturall Monster, who imbrued his hands in the blood of his owne mother, wife, kindred, and others Sueton in vi­ta Neronis. cap. 34. 35.; that cruell Ly­on, as Paul calls him 2 Tim. 4.17., who murthered and massacred the poore Christians? If that be true, which is storied of him, his owne sword did he sheath in [...]his owne blood, and be­came his owne Butcher Auson de 12. Caesar Matrici­da (que) Nero pro­prio se perculit ense.. In times of later persecution a­mongst vs, what fearefull endes did those butchers come vnto, that slew the Saints. Some had their gutts carried a­bout the streets vpon Bulls hornes Fox Martyr: Olog. edit. Anno 1596. Pag. 712. Idem ibid.; others dyed madde Pag. 1904. Melanct. chron. l. 11 p. 20.; others were strucke dead with the immediate hand of God Fox. Mart. 1908. & 1417 as they haue 3 Ioh. 9. Diotrephes-like beene prating and inveighing against the members of Christ, in their Pulpits. And there­fore I tell thee, tis dangerous medling against the Saints, it is fearefull to flout at them, to backbite them, slander them, hate them, devise & practise mischiefe against them. What? longest thou to haue Sions King to breake thee in pieces, and the Revel. 5.5. Lyon of the tribe of Iudah about thy eares? Alas man, if the rage of an earthly King (as Salomon speaketh) be like the roaring of a Lyon Pro. 19.12., what shall Christ his wrath be against his owne and his Brides adversaries? Is he thinkest thou a King onely IN his Church, and To his Church, to rule it by his Word, and guide it by his Spirit, and not as well a King FOR his Church, to auenge the wrongs thou shalt dare to offer vnto it? Oh, fond wretch, doe not deceiue thine owne soule; Vengeance belongs to him and he will repay.

That therefore I may vse this point by way of counsell, Deut. 32.35. 2. Part of the vse to Sions e­nemies, viz. Counsell or perswasion. let me perswade a little with thee; Doe no wrong to the Church of Christ, or any member of the same. Remember the charge that the Lord himselfe giueth; Touch not mine annointed, and doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105.15.. Touch them not with thy tongue, shoote not out bitter words against them. [Page 8] Touch them not with thy Pen, frame no bitter writings a­gainst them; touch them not with thy hand, offer no vio­lence vnto them; touch them not with thy head, invent no ill against them. For what shall it availe thee to wrong them, when as their husband Christ is a King. Motiue 1. Against this crueltie the King Christ bendes his wisedome and his power. Ledere servos Dei & Christi tuis persecutio­nibus desine; quos laesos vltio divina defen­dit. Cypr. Tract. contra Demetr. fol. 72. Motiue 2. To wrong the Church is vn­equall and vniust dea­ling. 1. With Christ himselfe. A King, I say, and therefore wants no wisedome, but is able to goe beyond thee, beest thou as craftie in thy fetches as the Serpent was; A King, I say, who wants no power, but is able to confound thee, wert thou as mightie in thy courses as euer proud Se­nacherib was: and both his Princely policy, and Kingly po­tency, shall concurre and meete together for thy ruine, ra­ther then his Wife shall suffer at thy handes any more then what shall turne to her eternall well-fare. Is it not a vaine thing for thee to attempt that which both the wisedome and power of Christ opposeth it selfe against?

Besides, there is little reason, nay it is against all reason, that thou shouldest doe harme vnto the Saints, for neither doth the Husband nor the Wife giue any iust cause vnto thee. First, for the husband and King himselfe. What wrong did he ever doe thee? Hath he ever dealt vnmercifully and cruelly with thee? Is it not by HIS patience that thou art kept out of hell, so long agoe, so many wayes deserved by thee? Is it not by HIS goodnesse and providence, that thou hast health, libertie, peace, prosperitie, &c? Nay, doth He not in the motions of his Spirit, which thou quenchest, in the ministry of his Word, which thou despisest, make most free and gracious offers of his owne precious blood, to saue thy soule from euerlasting damnation, & saued thou migh­test be, if thine impenitent and vnbeleeuing heart did not reiect and set light by these offers? Answere me, by whom hast thou, thy beeing, life, and moouing, and euery good thing that thou doest enioy? and is this the recompence of his kindnesse, to abuse and despise his Wife, his beloued Wife, and persecute him in his members? What an vniust and vnequall thing is this? What? Must HIS Wife of all other in the world, be accounted factious, seditious, trou­ble-States, traytors, that speake against Caesar, not worthy to [Page 9] liue in a Common-wealth, &c? Seruest thou this King thus indeed for his goodnesse? Oh iniury most horrible, Oh wrong most intollerable, which thou wilt neuer be able to answere, when he shall Apoc. 1.7. Mat. 24.30. come in the Clouds to avenge the blood of the Saints.

Againe, 2. It is inius­tice to the Church also. As Christ himselfe on his part giues thee no iust cause to hurt his Church, no more doth shee on her part; for what iniury doth shee doe thee? Shee refuseth indeed to run to the same excesse of ryot with thee. Accountest thou this a wrong. In this (if thou hadst but eyes to see) shee is more thy friend then thine enemy, because shee would not by any bad example hearten and harden thee in the way to damnation; contrarily, by her good example shee would al­lure thee TO, and invre thee IN the way to salvation. Besides, By HER meanes thou doest enioy much good. Were it not for HER, thy house would be burned over thy head; for when there shall cease to be a Church vpon the earth, all things thereon shall be melted by fire 2 Pet. 3.12.. Many a time doth shee confer with her Kingly Spouse for thy good; shee entreateth him (if it be his blessed will) to turnr thee from thy sinnes, to saue thee in the heavens; By her pray­ers shee stopps many a iudgement from lighting vpon thee, she fetcheth many a blessing from heaven for thee. For Gods sake then be not so vniust, as to harme those, for whose sake the very world it selfe is vpheld & preserued, and by whose meanes thou thy selfe doest enioy a great deale of good. Na­ture condemnes iniustice against the best friends. Let me then beseech thee, (if thou beest not altogether inexorable, inflexible) for this cause not to offer such iniury to the children of God, iest not at them, rayle not vpon them, bend neither thy craft, nor thy crueltie against them. Mot. 3. They haue buffettings and temptations enough within, they had need be spared and freed from troubles without; Hath thy malice then added to the measure of their afflictions? Get thee vp­on thy knees for it, powre out the songs of complaint against thy selfe before the Lord fot it, meete her husband the King in the way, make thy peace with him for the abuses thou [Page 10] hast offred her his Wife, be not sayd nay vntill a bill of paci­fication, and reconciliation be sealed for thee; purpose thou and promise him neuer to serue him so in his members any more; learne to loue them as much as euer thou hast hated them: and doe this speedily too, least that this great King and Bridegroome of the Church, like a Hos. 13.7.8. Leopard in the way, and a Beare robbed of her whelpes, rise vp against thee, Psal. 50.22. teare thee in pieces and there be none to deliuer thee.

Vse 3 Thirdly, is Christ a King? This iustly taxeth the folly of a great many in the world, Reproofe of those that neglect an vnion with Christ. who care not for, who seeke not after, who like not of a matching and marrying with Christ Iesus. He comes vnto vs as a Wooer, in his Word, with his mercies, offring a large ioynture vnto vs in the possessions of grace here, in the portion of glory hereafter, and faine would he haue entertainment at our handes, but we will none of him; iust like Ierusalem, (against whom he takes vp a bill of complaint by S. Luke) I would haue gathered you together as an henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings, but you would not Luke 17.37.? All the day long stretcheth he forth his hand Rom. 10.21. Isa. 65.2., but we are a gainsaying people. If now and then we afford him a good looke, and a faire word, by hearing a Sermon vpon the Saboth, by receiuing the Sacrament at Easter, by a little superficiall attendance vpon his ordinances, (when we are vrged to it) thats all he gets at our hands: To giue him our consent, to be content to be inuisibly contracted vnto him, and to for­sake all other onely to cleaue to him, this we will not by any meanes grant him, the greatest number of vs. Oh that so roiall a Suter, should be so basely serued at the hands of such base creatures. Would any poore mans daughter serue a rich mans sonne after such a fashion? Would a meane sub­iects childe deale thus with a Prince, with a King? Shee would not, except shee were a foole, or franticke. Ah fooles then, & vnwise that WEE are, to giue this Princely Wooer so cold a well-come. Haue we no regard to our owne good? can we not see when we are well offred? What? thinke wee that we are well enough, rich enough of our selues? Alas we, ( Laodicea-like) Apoc. 3.17. are wretched, miserable, poore, blind, and [Page 11] naked, stript and robbed of all the wealth which once we had in our innocent condition; so meane, so beggerly, that ex­cept we get him into vnion with vs, to be our husband, and inrich vs, it had beene good for vs if wee had neuer beene: Why then should we be so sottish, so enuious to our owne weale, as to reiect those treaties of marriage with himselfe, that he proffers vs. I guesse at the cause of this, Cavills of some (now a reproouing) that care not for Christ. & (I thinke) not amisse. We (like to some Wiues that loue to play rex, and are loth to be vnder rule) deeme the conditions too strict, which his Spouse must conforme vnto, & this marr's the match. Oh! Oh! 1. That he ties to vnreasonable conditions. First, he requires spirituall chastitie at our hands. His Wife must be a Virgin, Psal. 45.14. Isa. 37.22. haue doues eyes, Cant. 1.15. single and simple, not to admit of any Mate with him, E­zechiel's Ezech. 23.5. harlot, and Iames his Iam. 4.4. adulteresse, he cannot away with. That we should part our loue betwixt Mammon and him, him and Belial, him and Satan, he will not tolerate, the whole man must be kept chast wholly for him: If wee entertaine either sensuall pleasures, or sinfull profits, as our Paramours, we are no Bride for his fellowship.

2 Secondly, He must haue obedience at our handes; a like subiection as was imposed vpon Gen. 3.16. Eue to her husband, doth he looke for indeed; he tells vs if wee will match with him, our desire must be to him, he must rule ouer vs, and of ne­cessitie wee must Psal. 45.11. reuerence, (that is) be in submission vnto him.

3 Thirdly, He would haue vs Psal. 45.10. forget our owne people, and our fathers house too. Looke as Israell must forsake her idols which shee worshipped in the time of Pagan idolatry As Cyrill ex­pounds it. Catech. 7.; as the Gentiles must forget and leaue the Iewish rites and cere­monies vnder the Gospell So Lyranus.; so must we forget our old coun­try manners whatsoever Iust. Mart. in Dialog. cum Trypho. [...]. Luk. 14.26.. Our teeth must not be set on edge with the soure grapes that our fathers haue eaten. That we should retaine any dregs of the vaine superstition, or keepe any smacke of the vile conversation of our forefathers, that we should follow the euill cvstomes of euill people amongst whom we liue, will not he at any hand yeeld vnto: He that forsaketh not father, mother, children, friends, and all for [Page 12] Christs sake; he that preferreth the pleasing and imitating any of them before him, is not worthy of him. Here is ano­ther condition.

There is another yet, which is not the least. They that fel­low and follow him, must take vp their crosse Luk. 9.23.: He tells vs the hardest in Wooing time: if we be his Disciples, we shall be Io. 15.19.21 Luk. 21.17. hated for his name sake, scoffed at with Isaac Gen. 21.9. Gal. 4.29., oppressed with Israel Ex. 5.5.6 &c., accused 1 Sam. 2.19., hunted 1 Sam. c. 24, 26. &c. with Dauid, imprisoned with Ieremy Iere. 32.2., stocked with Ioseph Gen. 39.20., fettered with Paul and Silas Act. 16.23., fed with the bread of affliction with Micha 1 Kin. 22.27, carri­ed into Captivitie with Ezechiel Ezek. 1.1., plunged into the den of Lyons with Daniel Dan. 6.16., fired in the brazen Bull with Antipas See Paraeus in Apoc. 2.13., robbed of goods, spoyled of life with Polycarpus Apoc. 2.9.. In a word, persecuted and opposed, & men of sorrowes with himselfe Isa. 53.3.. These indeed, are the conditions He tyes his Wife vnto, and these things, He propounds vnto vs when he comes a Wooing vs, and hence it is we are so loath to be contracted vnto him. Hard termes indeed to meere naturalists, who haue no eye to see the royaltie of the person, nor the recom­pence of reward that he brings with him: But to a man that hath any sound iudgement in spirituall matters, these Arti­cles are easie and reasonable enough, if wee may take the Bridegroomes owne word Mat. 11. last. My yoake is ea­sie, & my bur­den light. The cavills quelled.. Let vs examine the case a little. Is it more then reason, that, a great Prince (making choice of a peasants daughter to Wife) should request and require a reservation and preservation of her chastitie, loue, and loy­altie for himselfe? Must Pharaohs daughter So literally the word reue­rence him, im­porteth. Psal 45.11. obey Salomon, and is it much for the Church to obey her Salomon, Christ Iesus? To him onely it is meete (saith Beza. Para­phrase vpon Psal. 45. one) thou shouldest be subiect, as to thy Lord; I would haue thee to know (saith Iohan. Com­pens ibid. Paraphrasticè. Est autem vt scias hic rex dominus tuus dignus cuitu in genua prouolu­ta supplex fias. ano­ther) that this King thy Lord is worthy to haue bended knees, and a bowing heart. Againe, shall Valeria, the wife of Seruius (of whom Hier. li 1. ad­versus Iovin. one of the Fathers reporteth) not consent to marry another, saying; Seruium sem­per viuere. Seruius my husband liueth still: and shall Ierusalem play the Harlot, suffering Egypt, Assyria, the world, the Deuill, and corruption to Ezek. 23.3. presse and bruise the teates of her Virginitie; as though her husband Christ were [Page 13] quite dead, and without being? Must Sarah forsake her owne Country Gen. 12.5., Rachell leaue her fathers familie Gen. 31.14., to follow their husbands? and may Sion stay in Sodom still, not leaue the rotten errors, & corrupt manners, of her old fathers house? May shee say as the Romanists doe at this day, I beleeue as the Church beleeueth, though they know not how the Church beleeues; or as the Libertines doe, We will doe as our fathers haue done, as our neighbours doe, we will play on Sundayes, keepe merry company, loue good fellowship, such doe so, wee will none of these precise orders in our families, our fathers neuer taught vs this, nor did this; shall shee (I say) say thus? Shall Michol incur the displeasure of Saul 1 Sam. 19.12.17. for Dauids good; and shall the Church be loth to beare rebuke for Christ his sake, and flinch backe because of troubles? Is it too hard, for Christ to require constancie and patience at her hands? What great thing I pray is required, (saith Musc. in Psal. p. 357. A. Quaeso quid magni exigitur cum idem con­iugi suo debeat vxor. one) when euery Wife owes the like to her husband! What want of equitie is in these conditi­ons? let any man iudge. Or put case these termes were vn­reasonable. Yet this husband is an heauenly King (you see) and that makes amends for all, lighteneth the burden, and qualifieth the seeming tartnes of these Articles. But its come to Calvins saying; In Psal. 45. v. 11. Hereupon groweth it, that we be so stately and proud (we will none of Christ) because we consider not how precious a treasure God offreth vs in his onely begotten sonne. If this vnthankefulnesse letted not, it would not grieue vs after the example of Paul, Phil. 3.8. to account whatsoeuer we set most store by, to be but dung, and right nought, that Christ might enrich vs with his riches. Worthy therefore to be blamed, are all those, who, (because they must keepe themselues chast from whooring after their owne pleasures, and profits, yeeld obedience to Christs will▪ suffer troubles for his name, renounce their su­perstitions and corruptions for his sake) cannot, will not accept those treaties of communion with himselfe, which in loue he tendereth vnto them. What sayd I? Worthy to be blamed? Nay (their contempt of the royaltie of his per­son, and richnes of his portion being considered) they are worthy to be excluded from euer hauing share in that ex­cellent [Page 14] GLORY, which he hath prepared for his owne.

Vse 4 Fourthly, Is Israels Spouse an heauenly King? What re­uerent regard and good well-come ought we (then) to af­ford Gods Ministers, Exhortation to make much of Levi, who labours in matching vs to Christ. who come vnto vs and deale with vs about a Match with Christ Iesus. Wee know what respect Rebeccah gaue Eliezer, Abrahams servant Gen. 24.31.32.33., when hee came vnto HER about a Match with the Patriarch Isaack his Ma­sters sonne: how much made on a Princes messenger to a poore mans daughter, about such a matter should be, wee may easily coniecture; and shall not we account the Isa. 52.7. Rom. 10.15. feete of them beautifull, that bring vnto vs the glad tydings of peace; and that tell vs, that the sonne of God would faine be married vnto vs? God forbid, but we should. Alas, alas then what an heauie inditement at the day of iudgement, will be brought IN against the vnthankfull world, for the bad en­tertainement that it yeelds vnto the Lords Levites, and la­bourers in this busines. We come from the King of heauen, as his Ambassadors, we talke with people about this Spouse, and (according to the talent which the Lord hath lent vs) we acquaint them with the comelines of his feature, the statelines of his person, the greatnes of his portion, we direct them how to entertaine him, shew them the way how to obtaine him, &c. And yet (lamentable it is to consider) some deride vs, some disgrace vs, and many deale vniustly with vs. Men and brethren, what shall wee doe? Shall we desist? Hath the Lord taken an oath of vs (as Abraham of his ser­vant) that wee shall seeke out a Wife for his sonne, and shall we deale falsely and faithlesly in our errand? Oh, let vs la­bour to ioyne still, even heaven and earth, Christ and the Church. We haue not our names▪ and offices of Levi signifi­eth ioyned. Levi for nought. Pray we for a blessing vpon our trauaile, as Gen. 24.12. Elie­zer did; shun we not to declare all the counsell of God Act. 20.27., for a­ny by-respect whatsoeuer; and then albeit our message be not entertained by All, as we doe desire, yet a good Rebeccah will make vs well-come for the tydings that we bring her of this heauenly Isaac, and the comfort wee shall reape in this, will countercheck the discomforts that may be occasioned [Page 15] by the contrary. And as for the Egyptian Dames, Philistins Dalilahs, daughters of Heth, and wicked ones, who care the lesse for vs, by how much the more wee vrge them to this Bridegroome; let them liue single from Christ if they list; one day they will curse the time, that euer they set so light by so weightie a message, so Princely a marriage.

Vse 5 Fiftly, I may vse this poynt as a Motiue to stirre vp Chri­stians, to solicite Christ for the good of their brethren, Advise to pray for the church in affliction. a part of his Bride, who are vnder the rod, and the flaile, for the Gospells sake. His Kingly office, is an argument, that there is neither want of wisedome, nor defect of power, to bring to nought, the subtile policies, and cruell practises of those Romish The Iesuits. blood-hounds, and heathenish Atheists, who hunt after the ruine of Gods Israel. Hauing then such an one to speake to, why should our prayers be either few or cold? Nay, why not more then ordinary in extraordinary times of need? What an heauie case is it, that in the Isa. 22.12. day when the Lord calls vs to mourning, to weeping, to baldnesse, and girding with sackcloth, there should be Vers. 13. ioy and gladnes, slaying Oxen, and killing sheepe, eating flesh and drinking Wine! Oh, that this principle could learne vs better things. Needfull it is (now if euer) for vs that wee should; well it would be with vs, if we would euen importune this Bridegrome for his church, with the Prophet Dauids argument; Thou art my King, O God, command deliverances for Iacob Psal. 44.4..

Vse 6 Finally, what a number of sweet rills doe flow from this fountaine, to comfort and atcheere the children of God. Comfort to the faithfull. Speake thou afflicted Christian, what is it that troubleth thee? The Deuill dogges thee, doth he not? Corruption clogs thee, doth it not? Peradventure thou thinkest, thou shalt not hold out to the end: It may be the reproches of neighbours, the malice of enemies, the feare of death, and the like, doe disquiet thee. Well, whatsoever it be that grieueth thee, proue but thou that Christ Iesus hath wooed thee, and won thee to himselfe, and this poynt will glad thee and comfort thee.

Comfort, 1. Against Satan.What though that Arch-adversary to thy peace, and thy soule, the Devill, will not let thee alone, but is euer and a­non molesting of thee, with such and such assaults, setting vpon thee. Remember, thy husband is a King: and this Gen. 3.15. seed of the Woman hath broken the head of that serpent, and vic­toriously conquered this Prince of darkenes, insomuch, that though he doth nibble at thy heele, yet this Prince, this God of Peace, shall Rom. 16.20. tread him downe shortly vnder thy feete; And then all his darts that he hath shott out against thee, shall be retorted vpon himselfe, to the wounding of his own pate. Yea, and this be thou surely perswaded of too, for thy husband, the great King, will haue it so, such is his pleasure, and can haue it so, such is his power. So that the Devill can­not be so violent against thee, but Christ will be as valiant against him for thee Quo impetu venerat, eodem impetu pulsus est, & quantum fotmidinis, & terroris attulit, tantum forti­tudinis inuenit & roboris. Cyp. Epist. l. 1. Ep. 1..

2. Against the rebelling of nature against grace.Secondly, Fearest thou that thy corruptions will subiugate thee to their former yoake, and prevaile over thee, because they are continually stirring against the worke of the Spirit in thee? Consider still thy husband is a King; and by con­sequent, he hath mastered sinne for thee, even in thine owne flesh, Psal. 68.19. he hath led captiuitie captiue, he hath layd chaynes vpon thy lusts, and hath taken such order for the continu­all decrease of euill in thee, that (like as it was fore-prophe­sied, the Israelites should the Babylonians) so thou shalt take those Corruptions captiues, whose captiue thou wert, and thou shalt rule ouer those thy spirituall oppressors, and rest shalt thou haue from this thy sorrow, and thy feare, and from the hard bondage, wherein (before conversion) thou wast made to serue Isa. 14.2.3..

3. Against doubting of perseverance.3. Standest thou in doubt, whether thou shalt haue grace e­nough to bring thee to heaven, and is this a discomfort vn­to thee? still keepe the memoriall of this poynt in thy thoughts. In this thy King Coloss. 1.19. Chap. 2. v. 9. dwells the fulnes of the God-head bodily, and the absolute riches of all graces, which graces are the iewells that he mindes to furnish and fill thee withall continually. Will a Princely wooer be sparing in his gifts? will he marry himselfe with one, whom he meanes to make [Page 17] a bill of divorce against, after there hath passed a most sweet Communion betwixt them for a time? Or what? Can he not for want of might, or loues he not for want of will, to make that good which he promised, when he sayd, Hos. 2.19.20. I will marry thee to my selfe FOR EVER? yea, and that in righteousnes, in iudgement, in faithfulnes, and knowledge? When tookest thou him euer tardy, or faithles? He would not be thy Prince, thy Soveraigne, if he meant not to guide thee by his law, and governe thee with his Spirit, vntill he even bringeth thee to glory. Wherefore, if here be thy feare, comfort thy heart with that which the Apostle hath, Heb. 12.28. the kingdome which thou hast received (yea, hast receiued alreadie) cannot be shaken.

Fourthly, Doth the world powre contempt vpon thee? 4. Against contempt. Art thou set at nought? canst not haue that esteeme amongst men, which thou desirest and deservest? I see little reason why this should trouble thee; If it doth, here is comfort a­gainst IT also. Thou hast a KING, whom thou art mar­ried vnto, yea, the KING of heaven and earth, which if the world knew (as it doth not, in which thou liuest as a stran­ger, and vnknowne vnto thee) it would be twice advised, ere it would dare so much as to haue any base thought, or contemptuous conceit of thee. But the world knowes none but her owne bratts; and thou (being of the of-spring of God Act. 17.20., a member of Iehovahs familie, yea, a Spouse made fit for the King himselfe) shee knowes not thee, esteemes not thee, any more then a foole doth a prize, put into his hand. Which contempt thou needest no more care for, and at which thou needest be no more cast downe, then a Noble­mans Wife, or a Princes Bride, when (being in a strange Countrey, and vnknowne what her house and husband is) shee is either despised, or not esteemed, according to her owne, and Spouse his worth.

Fiftly, Art thou not onely despised, 5. Against persecution. but also mis-vsed in the world? Doe the persecuters of the truth, Ioh. 8.4 [...]. who are of the Deuill their Father, goe about to wrong thee any kinde of way, in thy name, state, person, life, or libertie. Here is thy [Page 18] Shield still against discomfort. Thy husband is a King; and the time will come, when He will be knowne to be a King in the middest of thine enemies: Told I not thee, that he is Dan. 12.1. Michaell the great Prince, that STANDETH for the people of God. Never louing husband stood more stout­ly for his Wife, then he hath stood and doth stand for his Well-beloued. Remember what he did for his ancient Israel, he reproved even Kings for their sakes Ps. 135.136.. What is become of Og, the King of Basan, and Sehon, King of the Amorites, who were great and mightie Princes? Are they not perished long agoe? Felt they not the heauines of his revengefull hand? And what is His hand shortned Isa. 50.2. now, that it cannot redeeme? or hath it no power to deliuer now as well as then? Yes, yes, Isa. 43.13. Before the day was I am he, (saith the LORD, speaking of deliuering Israell from the handes of Babylon, and Babylon into the handes of Chaldea) and there is none can deliuer out of my hand. I will worke, and who shall let it? The Lord Psal. 110.5.6 at thy right hand, (saith Dauid speaking of Christ) shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath, and wound the heads ouer divers Countryes. Wherefore comfort thy selfe with these things, against trouble and persecution, be it verball and Ismaell-like, or reall and Iesabell-like. For Isa. 43.15. I am (saith Christ) the Lord, your holy one, the Creator of Israell, your King.

6. Against the feare of death.Lastly, if Death be the King of terrors vnto thee: and thou doubtest how thou shalt well-come, and away with this pale Sergeant when he comes with heavens fore-decreed Writt to arrest thee, consider, that this thy Christ, thy King, hath like a stout Commander, and vnvanquishable conquerour, charged this Sergeant to doe thee no hurt, trod this enemy in the dirt. He told thee he would doe it long before he came; Hos. 13.14. Oh death, I will be thy death; O graue, I will be thy destructi­on: according to his promise, he did doe it when he came; for Col. 2.15. he hath spoyled principalities and powers, made a shew of them openly, and triumphed ouer them. And now, since he is gone into heauen, he hath left thee a Writt of assurance for it, enrolled in the Writings of that famous Doctor of the Gen­tiles; [Page 19] 1 Cor. 15 25.26. He must raigne, till he hath put all things vnder his feete; the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. God for­bid then that this Apoc. 6.7. Rider vpon the pale horse, should vpon the thought of his comming, either driue colour out of THY face, or courage out of THY heart. Let them feare death, who are out of Christ, who feare not this King. But as for thee, whom Christ hath linked to himselfe, insult thou ouer Death, as Death doth ouer the sonnes of vnbeliefe, 1 Cor. 15▪ 55.57. O death where is thy sting? O graue where is thy victorie? Thankes be vnto God which giueth me victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Thus (I say) whatsoeuer the temptations be that trouble thee, the discomforts be that molest thee, arising either from the thought of the Deuils subtiltie, from the sight of thine owne infirmitie, from suspition of the want of con­stancie, from the contempt of neighbours, malice of enemies, or feare of death, tune but this Text with the voice of faith; in this Text, strike but vpon this string, harpe vpon this poynt with the finger of faith, (That Christ the Spouse of the Church is a King;) and it will make such Musicke to thy soule, that like as (when Dauid played before Saul 1 Sam. 16▪23.) the wicked spirit went from him, so the troubled spirit will goe from thee, or els at least that disconsonant, and disconsolate, noise betwixt faith and feare, to disquiet thy conscience, will be well qua­lified, and allayed. And so an end of the first poynt in the first part, let vs now set vpon the second. Which is the royall provision that this royall person makes for his beloued Bride. For as he is a King, so he hath a Table, which Salomon here in my Text, calleth

His Table.] Or (as some Translations haue it) his repast. The second circumstanc in the first part. The Inter­pretation. Either of which readings (as the learned obserue) the ori­ginall will beare; but the former doe I follow.

A Table, we know, in the proper, and natiue significa­tion, is a frame of Wood, made to eate meate vpon, in which sense we cannot take it here; nor yet for corporall meate, set vpon the Table to refresh our bodies withall. For the Kingdome of God consists neither in meates nor drinkes, as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 14.1 [...].. We must therefore vnderstand it [Page 20] Metaphorically, and taking it so, I find varietie and diversitie of Expositions amongst Interpreters.

R [...]b. Selomoh. Fol. 117. fac. 2Some of the Iewes, whom Genebrard quoteth, s thinke it to be Sinai, the mount where the Law was deliuered to Moses, and whence he descended in hast when the Israelites erected and worshipped the golden Calfe Exod. 32.: But this cannot be, because it is a confining of this Text to the state of the Iewish Synagogue at that time; when as yet the holy Ghost hath a larger ayme then at that. M ^r Brightman. One of our owne Country­men, thinkes it to be meant particularly of the Congregation of Iudah, Beniamin, Ephraim, &c. who gathered themselues together at Ierusalem, in the third moneth of the fifteenth yeare of the raigne of 2 Chron. 15. [...].10. Asa. This opinion I will not cen­sure, yet I dare not subscribe to it. For this also I take to be a setting too short boundes to the Text. We will walke in a broader way, and allow larger limits (with other sound and learned Writers). I know Saint Luke speaketh of a Luk 22.30. Table, whereat Christ promised his Disciples to sit and eate; and that intimates the heauenly dainties they should partake off in his Celestiall Paradise, the Kingdome of glory: which some As Piscator. Merc. doe vnderstand in this place. But with * others, I vnder­stand the Word and Sacraments, the dyet of the Church; wherewithall shee is fed and refreshed spiritually, as men are corporally with meates and drinkes set vpon their Table; Neither doth this swerue from the Canon of Scripture: For is not the Kingdome of heauen, that is, the Word of the King­dome compared to a Supper, and to Ioh. 6.27. Meate that perisheth not? And doth not the Apostle call the Sacrament of his last Supper, A Table 1 Cor. 19.21.? And whereas it is called here, HIS Table, it intimates, that HE is the Founder of this Feast. For who giueth the Word, the meate that endureth to eternall life, if not Ioh. 6.21. the sonne of man, whom the Father hath sealed: And the Sacramentall Table, is called the Table of the LORD In that place [...]recited out f the Corinths.. I know indeed that Christ feedeth and feasteth his Church with the internall graces, and comforts of his Spirit, but because these follow to be considered off in His Sitting at this Table, therefore my intent is in this onely, to [Page 21] insist on the externall dishes of his Ordinances: And so make this the Doctrine.

Doct. 2 That this King Christ, spreades a Table, and makes provision of the Word and Sacraments for his Church. This is one of the things which the Church setteth his greatnesse forth by in my Text, in so much that now, with the Prophet Dauid, euery member of the same may say, Psal. 23.2. He maketh me to feed in greene pastures. This is that which our Author signifieth els­where, when he brings in Christ in Wisedomes name, not onely building her an house, and erecting a Church, but also making provision for the inhabitants of that house. Pro. 9.2. Shee hath killed her victualls, shee hath mingled her wine, shee hath prepared her Table. In another place, he is brought in vnder the similitude of a King, making a marriage dinner for his sonne, and sending forth his servants, the Ministers of the Gospell, to toll in guests, and tell them of the feast, both how bountifull it is, and how ready it is; Behold I haue prepared my dinner, my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed, and all things are ready Mat. 22.23.. And that this feast is peculiarly provided for the Church, it is plaine in the same Parable Verses 5.10.. Where we may see, that they which did set light by the seruants call, the Ministers invitation (as they that are out of the Church doe) are threatned, not to taste of that Supper; and onely those are admitted as fit guests, whom the servants gathered out of the high wayes, whom the Ministers of the Gospell are made instruments to turne out of the high way of sinne that lea­deth to hell, through the Preaching of the Word. And who are they, but the Church? Herewith accordeth that of Esay, Isa. 25.6. Vpon this mountaine (meaning the Church) shall the Lord make a feast of fat things, a feast of Wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of Wines on the lees well refined. See Ezek. 16.13. So then deny it we cannot, (truth evincing it) that Christ hath a board spread for his Bride, richly furnished with such spirituall dainties, as his Word and Sacraments be. And not without cause.

Reason. For why, he would haue his Church to grow, and thriue. And how grow? Two wayes in addition of mem­bers, [Page 22] in augmentation of graces; in multitude, and in mea­sure. As therefore there is need of temporall foode for cor­porall growth, so of these spirituall Ordinances, for this spirituall growth.

First, He would haue it to grow in multitude: he would haue such daily added to the Church, as are ordained to be saued, that like as Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon and Beniamin fell from Israel vnto Asa in abundance 2 Chron. 15.9.; so there may be an accesse of Elect ones vnto him out of Satans hands, euery day more and more: and this causeth him to giue Ephes. 4.8.11. gifts vn­to men, and to appoint some to be Prophets, some to be Apostles, some teachers, some Pastors, with this Commission, Psal. 50.5. Gather my Saints vnto me, for the [...]. augmentation of my body, or addition of members therevnto.

Secondly, He would haue his Church grow in measure, his Will is, that they which are added to the Church, should haue grace augmented in their hearts, to be more fat, flouri­shing, and well liking in their age Psal. 92.14.; therefore he giues them the 1 Pet. 2.2. sincere milke of the Word, that they may Dicimus qui­dem cibum om­nem perficere ea quae aluntur, &c. Dyonis. Areop. libro Epistol. fol. 183. b. grow thereby. And giues he not also, not onely Baptisme, as the Sacra­ment of Initiation, but also, The Lords Supper for confirma­tion? Nay, by the administration of the one, and commu­nication at the other, doth he not seale vp remission of sins by his blood, to the conscience of the beleever, for the strengthening of his faith, increasing of his loue, and bette­ring of his obedience? So that the beleever may haue equall recourse to Water in Baptisme by meditation, Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper, by participation, to stay his faith on, to strengthen his faith by, when either the malice of Sathan against him, or the reliques of vnbeliefe in him, shall raise any stormes of Despayre, to weaken the same.

Vse 1 This being so, makes first of all against those that care not for the Word, that contemne the Sacraments; vnto whom if the Ministers cry in the Prophets termes, ( Isa. 55.1. Hoe, euery one come yee to the Waters, Come, buy, Wine and Milke with­out money, and without price,) they stoppe their eares against this call, make excuses when they are bidden. One hath a [Page 23] Farme, another hath Oxen, another hath a Wife to please, another his Market to follow, another his Dice, another his Dogs; one cannot tarry in the Church while the Sacra­ment of Baptisme is administring; another is at oddes with his neighbour, and he cannot come to the Communion this yeare: And thus while one feedes vpon his pleasures, another vpon his profits, another on his beastly and re­vengefull lusts, the most hauing the broth of abhominable things in their vessells Isa. 65.4.: This Table of Christs spreading is not so frequented, so regarded as it ought to be. Which contempt of Gods Ordinances, how worthy of reprehensi­on it is, this poynt declareth.

Should some Prince, or Peere of a Kingdome, A similie. make a great feast, furnish his Table with all manner of dainties, yea, with such costly delicates, as he feedeth his owne Queene, or Spouse withall, and should send forth his ser­vants, to invite guests to that feast, bidding to come who haue a list and well-come; and they that are thus bidden, should make excuse, and say; Alas, I haue a poore neighbour dwells by me, he hath invited me to a cold Sallet, or a dish of herbes, in which regard I cannot come: were he not worthy to be Chronicled for a man without wisedome? Might not his friends that loue him, well reproue him, for so carelesse contemning a Princes call, and for preferring a dish of Pe­pons at a poore mans house, before the royall dainties of a great mans Table? they might very well: In like manner, may not they be as deservedly shent, that shall preferre their earthly commodities, their fleshly vanities, nay, their diabo­licall impieties, before these supernaturall meates, and spiri­tuall bitts of the Word and Sacraments? Knowest thou of whose providing they are? art thou aware for whom they be prepared? are they not of the King, Christ? are they not for the Church? and can that be course fare, which is of so royall a preparer, and for so royall partakers? Verily, I may say to thee, as Elihu to Iob; Thy soule abhorreth daintie meate Iob 33.22.. Let me expostulate a little with thee. Why can the doctrine of salvation, relish no better in thy pallate? How is it that the [Page 24] Temple cannot hold thee, while the Childe is a Baptizing, but out thou must be running, as if it were an Ordinance concerned thee not? Why wilt thou chuse rather to liue in wilfull malice with thy brother, then come and partake of the Lords Supper? Or wherefore art thou so seldome at it, when as thou maiest so often haue it? If I were but ac­quainted with thy maladie, I would apply a remedy, accor­ding to the skill the Lord hath giuen me. Oh that I knew but what would get thee a better stomacke. If thou woul­dest but provoke thy selfe, to vomit out the loue of the world, and of thy lusts, which like poysonous crudities lie cloddering vpon thy stomacke, thou wouldest haue a better appetite; and this honey-combe would not be loathed by thee. But if thou beest past cure, then I haue done with thee; Goe thy wayes to thy huskes with the filthy Swine, to thy Venison with prophane Esau; sell thy birth-right for pottage; make excuses; frame pretences to keepe thee from this Feast, yet I must be terrible in my wordes vnto thee, This King that makes this Banquet, will be wroth with thee, Mat. 22.7. and will send forth his Armies to destroy all such as thou art.

Vse 2 But now in the second place, as for thee whom counsell is like (by the blessing of God) to prevaile withall, thee doe I perswade, yea, earnestly entreate, to frequent this Table, these Ordinances; neither thy age, sex, condition, gifts, in­ward or outward, can excuse thy absence, or preiudice thy admittance. Hither thou must come, the King doth en­ioyne thee; hither thou maiest come, he will accept thee; on these dainties thou maiest feed, thy meannesse need be no impediment to thee; on these dainties thou must feed, thy greatnesse can be no plea for the contrary. And for thy en­couragement hereto, know thou:

Motiue 1.First, That Christ will set no base fare vpon his Board, for his best beloued Bride. If the Cookes doe marre it sometimes in the dressing, (as Fryer-like Preachers doe, powdering the Word with the dust of their owne inventi­ons; or as the Papist-like Prelates doe, adding creame, salt, [Page 25] oyle, spittle, and the like trash to Water in Baptisme, and defiling the Lords Supper with that abhominable idoll of the Masse) yet the fault of that is not in the King, and Kezar of the Church. It is sweet, it is excellent as it comes out of his handes, Psal▪ 19.10. sweeter then the honey; of Iob 28.1 [...]. price aboue Rubies; more to be desired then gold, yea, then much fine gold: The costliest meates, the delectablest drinkes that are, are but course in comparison of it. God forbid then thou shoul­dest abhorre it. Get thee to a good Cooke; abhorre the Masse; Baptize not thy Childe by a Seminary; and come but to this Table, stay but at this Table with a reverent re­gard, and thou shalt finde that I tell thee no lie, such sweet­nesse shalt thou taste, such goodnesse shalt thou see in the meanest of these Ordinances, euen by thine owne experi­ence.

Secondly, Consider, Motiue 2. that it cannot be sayd of this foode as Paul spake of indifferent meates and drinkes, 1 Cor. 8. [...] ▪ Neither if we eate, are we the better, nor if we eate not, are we the worse. For thy admission to the Church, if thou beest not yet cal­led, thy growing vp in grace, if thou beest converted, hangs vpon these Ordinances, as vpon secondary necessary helpes; Sayd I not before, this meate the Feast-maker provideth for the growth of the Church? How can the Church then grow in number one the more for thee, if thou despise Pro­phesying? How canst thou grow in measure, if thou carest not for Preaching, makest no vse of thy Baptisme, prouest a superficiall and seldome guest at the Lords Table. As then thou tenderest thy conversion to grace, thy confirmation in grace, so delight to be a guest at this Board which Christ spreadeth, take pleasure to make vse of those Ordinances, which like spirituall provision, he hath made readie for his Church, in the Sermons which are Preached, in the Sacra­ments which are administred amongst vs; knowing that to be a truth, which a Father saith; Chrysost. in Math hom. 70. Cum spiritualia, v [...]cant, nulla occupationis excusatio est. When spirituall things doe call vs, no excuse of subordinate busines will serue the turne.

Vse 3 Lastly, Hath Christ made such spirituall provision for his Church? then from hence, to their singular comfort, [Page 26] may all Gods people, that are pinched with penury, assure themselues, they shall neuer starue, for want of needfull su­stenance. He that can giue the Kingdome, with the righ­teousnesse of that, can cast all other outward necessaries vp­on vs: He that can and doth spread his Table for the soule, will prepare victualls for the bodie. He can provide a Ta­ble for his Israel in the Wildernesse. Dauids soule can he sa­tisfie with Marrow and Fatnesse, in a dry and thirstie Land Psal. 63.15.. It is his honour to be franke and royall to his owne. And indeed he that hath bin so liberall as to giue himselfe, must needs with himselfe giue all things else. Thou complainest thou hast not so full a purse, so ouer-flowing a Table as o­thers haue; knowest thou not that Sheepe, when they goe vp to the belly in pasture, are in danger of rotting, and that barer Common were better for them? Thy Shepheard sees it is better safetie for thy graces, to furnish thee with a me­diocritie, rather then fill thee with a superfluitie of outward blessings. Tell me, hast thou not provision for the soule, the Word, the Sacraments? If Yea; this is a Gen. 43.34. Beniamins messe, fiue times better then thy brethrens messes, which haue no­thing but the world in store for the time of life, and wrath in store against the day of death. The fruition of the greater and better should alwayes counteruaile the want of the les­ser, and worser. Browne bread and the Gospell (said M ^r Bradford) is good cheere. Say thou poore Christian, Is not thy body as strong to labour, and thy children as well liking as theirs that haue more abundance? thou canst not deny it. Plucke vp a good heart then, and say with David; Psal. 23.1. The Lord is my feeder, therefore I shall not want. He lets not my soule starue, therefore he will not let my body famish. Resolue on this, I say. For it is a greater dishonour to his bountie, then thou art aware off, to thinke that he will with-hold any needfull good thing from any that lead an holy, pure, and vp­right life Psal. 84. vlt. ver..

The third circumstance in the first part.We haue now done with the second thing, which the Church commendeth her husbands greatnesse by. The last remaineth to be handled, which is his presence and [Page 27] residence with HER, implied by HIS Sitting at Ta­ble.

THis circumstance subdiuideth it selfe into two mem­bers. 1. The fruition the Church hath of Christs sight and sitting, couched vnder the terme of Sitting at Table. 2. The fruit Shee gets by it, and returneth for it, in the smell that her Spikenard sendeth forth.

We will set these ioynts together in the meaning, and not handle them a-part, because they come vnder the same par­ticular head.

Sitteth]. The Rabbines, who (as I remembred before, The Inter­pretation. by King, vnderstand Iehovah, and by Table, Mount Sinai) doe by Sitting at Table, take to be meant, the presence or resi­dence of the Lord vpon that Mount with Moses, when he delivered the Law vnto him. Others, referre it to the pre­sence of 2 Chron. 1 [...] ▪ Asa, when he was in the middest of the Israelites, congregated and gathered together, to make a Covenant with the Lord. But thou knowest (READER) I haue shunned these paths from the beginning. Others, expound it of the presence of Christ, alluding to the presence of Salo­mon with his Bride, on the day of his marriage. And a­mongst these, I finde some difference; one vnderstanding his glorious Piscator. Dun [...] fruitur gaudijs Calestibus. Me­taphora qualis. Mat. 8.11. presence in heauen, where he Sitteth, partaking of caelestiall ioyes: Merc. Another his gracious presence with his Church in this world. Now that the presence of Christ is here signified, it is probable, yea, very probable: Because a man cannot sit at the same Table with another, but they must enioy the presence of one another. But, whither his glori­ous presence alone, or his gracious alone, or both be here meant, that's the question. For mine owne part, albeit I dare not peremptorily exclude his presence in glory, (be­cause whiles he is at Table with his Saints on earth, he is as [Page 28] well at repast with his Saints in heauen, and whiles the one hath his gracious presence here, the other hath his glorious there) yet I doe rather encline to his presence by grace here: And that for these reasons.

The reasons of the mea­ning of the word, Sitting.First, Because it is held generally, that this verse is the speech of the Church militant, speaking and shewing what her husband is to her, and doth for her, euen in this life.

Secondly, Because of the end of her speech, which is to invite the daughters of Ierusalem, (that is) them that are without the Church, to come to Christ. But what stronger argument, to this purpose, could shee vse, then one taken from the enioying of his presence, as well by grace here, as in glory hereafter. For little courage to come to Christ would men haue, if so be there were no comfortable sight and pre­sence of him to be had in this life, as well as in that which is to come. So then by Table, being vnderstood (as hath beene alreadie shewed) the Word and Sacraments; by his Sitting at this Table, is meant his presence by grace with his Church by his Ordinances.

One of the Iewes by Spikenard here, vnderstands the wor­ship which the Israelites did yeeld vnto the golden Calfe; and by the smell that it cast forth, the noysome sauour that this Idolatry sent vp to the Lord, whiles he was with Moses on the Mount, which was so strong and loathsome, that the Lord was faine in hast to send Moses downe vnto them. Another, by Spikenard, vnderstandes the couenant it selfe, which the Tribes made before the Lord, in the 15. yeare of Asa's raigne: and by the sending forth the smell thereof, he meaneth the sounding forth of that 2 Chron. 15.14. Vow with a loud voice, with Trumpets and Cornets, and such like Instruments of Musicke. But letting these passe, Ambros in Psal. 119. Nunc autem redolet fides: Ideo (que) dicit Ecclesia: Nar­dus mea dedit odorem suum. others doe by Spikenard vnderstand Faith alone; P [...]sc. others Good workes alone; Mercer and Geneb. o­thers, both Faith and Good workes. This last iudgement I follow, in regard of the resemblance betwixt Spikenard and Faith, betwixt Spikenard and Good workes. How Faith resembleth Spikenard. First, for the [Page 29] resemblance betwixt Faith and it. Spikenard is a very sweete and fragrant herbe, with a tender roote, full of leaues vpon the top, of which eares spring forth, full of fruit; Of this herbe an ointment is made, (which it seemes was in much vse in Salomons time) which hath a threefold, or rather foure­fold vertue, to comfort the heart, to helpe against the weak­nesse of the stomacke, defects of the braine and Diosc. lib. 1. cap. 6. eyes. And is not faith much like.

First, It is a very sweete and fragrant vertue, it perfumes whatsoever we doe, without which it is Heb. 11.6. impossible to please God.

Secondly, It hath a tender roote, it springs vp in a bro­ken heart, in a conscience wounded, bruised, and prepa­red Perk. Ca­techis..

Thirdly, It comforteth the heart, by the apprehension, and application of the promises.

Fourthly, It availeth against the diseases of the stomacke, it keepeth from casting vp the spirituall food, as Dios. l. 1. c. 6. Spikenard from casting vp the corporall, it helpeth against carnall and earthly diseases, it moderates the affections.

Fiftly, It is full of leaues, he that hath it makes professi­on of Religion.

Neither is it, in the last place, void of fruit, for faith makes a man as well to practise as professe.

Now as Faith in All of these, How good Workes re­semble Spike­nard. so Good workes in Some of these things are like to Spikenard also: and chiefely in re­spect of the comforting qualitie of it. For Good workes doe comfort occasionally, not onely the hearts of the doers themselues, as the example of Iob proueth (who drew com­fort from his holy life, when he was almost at the doore of death,) but also the hearts of others, who desire the glory of God, and credit of the Gospell; as the fruits of loue in do­ing, and patience in suffering, amongst the Thessalonians, were a great refreshing and crowne of reioycing to the holy Apo­stle, yea, made both Paul, Siluanus, and Timotheus, to glory of them in the Churches 2 Thess. 1.3.4.. Thus we see, what is to be meant by Spikenard; so that [My Spikenard] is as much as, The [Page 30] Faith and Good workes of me the Church militant. Now in that shee speakes of Sending forth the smell thereof, we must know that Salomon alludes to the custome of his dayes, in the Ea­sterne parts of the world, where the Hebrewes were, whose manner was at their Nuptialls and Banquetts, for the Brides and Wiues, to besweeten themselues with sweet oyntments, whereof Spikenard was one, that they might savour all ouer their Boardes, to giue not onely other sitters by, but also (and that chiefely too) their husbands content; and it seemes, the abuse and excesse of this the Prophet Amos tax­eth very sharply; Amos 6.4.6. Woe to them that eate the Lambes out of the Flocke, and the Calues out of the middest of the Stall, that drinke Wine in Bowles, and Annoynt themselues with the chiefe Oynt­ments. It seemes (I say) that Salomon alludes to this, to note out vnto vs, that the Faith and Good workes of the Church, doe smell sweetly in Christs nostrills, and cast forth a savour vnto others. Will you now, at length, haue the summe of all in a word? take it thus.

Paraphrase. So long as my Kingly husband, Christ Iesus, is present in his Ordinances, with me the Church militant, the faith and good workes of my members, doe sauour sweetly before God, and a­mongst men. The poynts that offer themselues hence to our consideration, are these three.

1. That in his Word and Sacraments, Christ is present with his Church.

2. That whiles he is so present with her, shee sendeth forth the sauour of Faith and good Workes.

3. That they which haue sound faith, and bring forth good fruit, may lawfully professe, and speake of the same.

Doct. 3. Christ is pre­sent with his Church in his Ordinances.TO beginne with the first; While the Church enioyeth the Word and Sacraments, shee enioyeth the presence of her Be­loued. For as Table importes the provision he makes for her, so doth his Sitting at Table, his presence with her. He deales not with his people as a man that invites guests to his house to a feast, who, when they are come goes his way from them, beares them no company; but as He bringeth them hither, [Page 31] so He is with them here. Where two or three are gathered to­gether in my name, I will be in the middest amongst them Mat. 18.20.. In the Parable before cited, we reade, that the King came in to see the guests Mat. 22.11.; not onely (as it is likely) to marke their carriage, but also to beare them company. It is the speech of the Church, in the mouth of the Prophet; Hos. 6.2. The third day we shall liue in his sight. Where, by the third day, some vn­derstand, the time of the Gospell, and, by liuing in his sight, Christ his presence in the Gospell, with the Spouses readi­nesse to heare his sayings Zarch. in Hos. ad loc. Praeste eius dictis au­dientes. Ioh.. Looke as Gods presence was in Israel with the Arke, so is it amongst his people, with his Word, and Sacraments; I am with you to the end of the world, as he told his Disciples, and can he be absent in his Ordi­nances?

But here the onely Question is, Qu: 1. How Christ is pre­sent in the Word. Answ. How he is present with his people in these Ordinances? How in the Word? How in Baptisme? How in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper?

For the first, follow but me in tracing out the Metaphor, and you shall haue satisfaction.

A King sits at Table with his Queene, not onely to feed with her, but also to carue to her, to conferre, and to be merry with her. So Christ is present with his owne, in the Preaching of the Word. 1. as a caruer, 2. as a conferrer, 3. as a comforter. First, (I say) as a caruer, for doth not he proportion his Doctrine in the mouthes of his Ministers, to the capacitie and necessitie of his hearers? Cutting such a bit out of such a Text, and such an one out of another, di­recting his Stewards wisely, and aptly to apply their studies in private, their Sermons in publique, to the occasions of their hearers? He carues resolution to her in her doubts, confutation in her errors, correction for her disorders, &c. Secondly, doth he not in his Word familiarly confer with his Bride, reuealing his minde plainely to her in those mat­ters that are mysteries to the world. A similie. A man that sits at the vpper end of the Table with his Wife, talkes in her eare, happily the rest heare the sound of his voice, but yet know not, conceiue not the scope of his speech, shee onely vnder­stands [Page 32] his meaning, and is acquainted with his will; So, re­probates heare the Word as well as the elect, but the elect haue Christ whispering that in their eare out of his Word, that the reprobate can neuer attaine vnto, though he goes as farre as a temporary faith can carry him, so that though both haue the sound, yet but one hath the sence, the sence (I say) in a right apprehension of the meaning of it, in a liuely feeling of the operation of it. For (as Zanch. Tom. 5 in Epist. ad E­phes. p. 152. Verbum enim sinceris auribus auditum, im­primitur in corde Electorū per Christum: b. e. per Spiri­ [...]um Christi. One sayth) The Word which is heard with pure eares, doth take IM­PRESSION in the hearts of the ELECT alone, by Christ, or the spirit of Christ. Thirdly, Christ is present in the Preaching of the Word, as a comforter. For whiles the Doctrine of the free fauour of God in Christ, of reconcilia­tion with God by Christ, of the excellent priviledges of the faithfull, remission of sinnes, salvation in the heavens, &c. is sounded and preached, are not the soules of beleevers many times ravished, comforted, refreshed, by the inuisible working of the holy Spirit?

Qu: 2. How Christ is pre­sent in Bap­tisme. Answ. For the second Question, thus may we answere it, that Christ is not present in Baptisme, to take away the roote of originall sinne, as if it could not remaine in the partie Bap­tized; nor to conferre inuisible grace, simply by the ele­ment of Water, as if grace were necessarily tyed to the Sa­crament, and none could haue it, except they were Bapti­zed, nor yet thirdly to imprint an indelible Character in the soule, that can neuer be blotted out, as the Schooles would haue it. He is not (I say) either of these wayes present in Baptisme. But, first to seale vnto vs our admission into the couenant of his grace, and communion with himselfe, and with his Saints Act. 2.39. Gal. 3.27.: Secondly, to represent vnto vs, and Sacra­mentally to show vs, by the outward washing of Water, the inward cleansing of our soules by his blood, that is, by iusti­fication Polan. Synt. l. 6. c. 55., and by his Spirit, that is, by sanctification Id. ibid. Ablutio per sanguinem Christi, est iu­stificatio. Ablutio per spiritum Chri­sti est regenera­tio.. Third­ly, to put vs in minde of our repentance, new obedience, cou­rage, and care, to show our selues his Souldiers, by warring and fighting against the Deuill, the world, and the flesh. So then, you see, that three wayes Christ is present in Bap­tisme. [Page 33] 1. As a sealer of the mutuall couenant betwixt Him and his Church. 2. as a representer of the benefits he will bestow on his Church, if shee keepe her conditions. 3. as a remembrancer of the duties shee owes to him, if shee would haue him keepe his conditions.

Lastly, to answere the third Question, Qu: 3. How Christ is pre­sent in the Eucharist. How Christ is present in the Lords Supper? We must know, that he is not there Transubstantially, as though the Bread and Wine were turned into the body of Christ, flesh, blood, and bones, as our adversaries the Papists hold; nor yet Consubstantially, Existentia ve [...] absconsione corporis invisi­bilis in, sub, cum, pane. by an existence or hiding his inuisible body, in, with, vn­der the Bread, as if there were no figure in the Sacrament, as the Vbiquitarians hold Chemnit Har. Evang. cap. 83. col. 1586. At verò hinc in­ferre velle. Er­go in Doctrina Sacramenti, propositio (panis est corpus me­um) etiam est figuratae, hoc verò absurdis­simū, & Christi ingenio prorsus contrarium est. Vide etiam. Col. 1587. 1588.; but these wayes first to keepe vs mindfull of his death, which he endured for vs, in which regard, some haue called the Lords Supper, [...] Sacrificium. a Sacrifice of remembrance. Secondly, to strengthen our faith, in the assu­rance of the continuance of his loue, and to ratifie, the par­don of our sinnes, our title of adoption, our interest in grace, our right to glory, to our soules. Thirdly, to arme vs against Idolatry, that partaking of the Lords Table, wee may not communicate at the Table of Deuills 1 Cor. 10.21.. Fourthly, to pre­serue vs in the way of obedience. Fiftly, to assure vs of the re­surrection of our bodies at the last day, according to Christs owne speech; Ioh. 6.54. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternall life, and I will raise him at the last day. And last­ly, to signifie vnto vs, and ascertaine vs of our vnion with himselfe, as Paul declareth, when he sayth; The cup of bles­sing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16.. Thus we see, not onely THAT, but also HOVV Christ is present with his Church in his holy and sacred Ordinances. Let vs now consider, to what end the Doctrine serueth, and what vses it affoordeth, which are divers.

Vse 1 First, It informeth vs of the reason, why Gods people doe so diligently frequent the house of God, are so often present at his Ordinances; (to wit) because they meete their husband, their King, their Sauiour, in such places, at such exercises.

If a poore man, comming to a great mans house, findes the Master of the house to bid him well come, to beare him company, to entertaine him with good cheere, merry talke, and kind invitations to come oftner; would you wonder to see that poore man euer and anon at that rich mans Table? So it is with the children of God. A great many marvaile at them, what they meane to run so to Sermons as they doe; Once a day (say they) cannot content them, but they must heare twice; (say they) the Saboth cannot suffice them, but they must out on the weeke day. If Baptisme be administred, they will not out of the Church by any meanes; If there be a communion euery moneth, they must be at it euery time, as though once, or twice in a yeere, were not sufficient, wee wonder at it. Doe you so? it is because you know not, whom they see, whom they finde pre­sent, whom they meete withall here. They see the King here, even the King of heauen and earth. And although they haue his presence in their houses, shops, fields, walkes, and closets, yet they know here, He is present after a speciall and peculiar manner, to conferre with them about deepe secrets, to carue bitts to them, according to their necessities. If they be erroneous in their iudgements, they finde him here to in­forme them, if scrupulous in their consciences, they find him here to resolue them, if they be drowsie in his seruice, they finde him here to rowse them, if fallen into any sinne, they finde him here present to rayse them, if heauie in their hearts, here he is to accheere them, if they haue mistaken their way, here he is to direct them. In these Ordinances, they finde their faith strengthened, the couenant of Gods grace sea­led, their vnion with Christ ratified, their assurance of per­severing in grace, of raising from death, and raigning in glory, confirmed; and what not? Marvaile you then, what they doe frequenting such places, where the Word is Prea­ched, and the Sacraments administred?

What wife that loues her husband, doth not delight dai­ly to converse with him at his Table? Marvaile therefore at thy selfe, rather that thou and thy companions take no more de­light in such places, at such exercises, then you doe: and cease [Page 35] wondering at them, who come hither to be recreated, and accheered with the gracious presence of their great Bride-grome. Albeit, I deny not, but some doe (as the peo­ple in Christs dayes did) follow him for the Ioh. 6. loaues, some for his miracles, some for one corrupt end, some for another, yet there is an holy and chosen generation, who follow him in his Ordinances, because they know he Sitteth at Table in the same, and doth communicate vnto them such graci­ous glaunces of his countenance, as Reprobates are like ne­uer to partake off.

Vse 2 Secondly; Is Christ present with his Church in his Or­dinances; What meane the Papists then to take vpon them so tedious a taske, as to runne to Compostella to see his holy coate (which they say is there, though no man knowes how it came there) and to Ierusalem, to visit his Sepulchre? Oh folly to be pittied, if not to be derided. Thinke they to finde Christ in his coate, finde his presence in the graue? Is this one of their meritorious actions? See Christians, see their simplicitie. Christ sits not there, is not so present there, as he is in his Church, and with his Church. If Christians who goe but halfe a mile to heare a Sermon Preached vnto them, to be made partakers of the Sacrament, doe not make a better Pilgrimage then this is, and meete not with their well-beloued Spouse, Christ, sooner, then these simple delu­ded soules, by making such superstitious Voyages can, then note me for a teacher of lyes?

Vse 3 Thirdly, This poynt may be applyed by way of reproofe to a great number, who care neither how vnpreparedly they come to Gods publique Ordinances, nor how irreligiously they behaue themselues at the same. A man may say (and say truely too) there is no Table of mortall man more ta­ken vp with vnmannerly guests, with rude, with vnciuill company, then this Table, whereat Christ sitteth, and affor­deth his presence.

First, Concerning the comers to his Word, 1. Vnreuerent comers to the Word. it would make a Christian heart to bleed, to consider what manner of peo­ple; and after what manner most people come to the Prea­ching [Page 36] of that. One comes with his eyes scarce open, closed vp with that excrementall moisture of ignorance, which the spi­rituall sleepe in sinne breedeth, with an vnderstanding so darkened, that let the King by his servants lay bitts before him, he cannot see them, Preach as plainely as they can, he cannot vnderstand them; Another comes without his knife, and when he is at the Table here, his hand is in his Pocket, and so benummed, that he cannot pull it out, to take and cut the meate that is set before him, I meane he comes without faith, without will to beleeue the Word, without an heart to apply the same to his necessitie, accor­ding to the nature of the doctrine which is deliuered. A third comes with the old Grecian disease, the Athenian itch in his eares, that except the Preacher doth amaze his hearers with strange & vncouth straines, aboue the reach of plaine people, or tell of some strange thing, he is not for their hu­mour; If he striues with himselfe to speake to the capacitie of the meanest hearer, and to knocke vpon the conscience of the wickedest liuer, in the plaine euidence and demon­stration of the spirit, as, that learned Doctor of the Gentiles, Saint Paul did 1 Cor. 2.1., how nestles he, how lookes he on the glasse? The itch doth so trouble him, his Athenian desires doe so distemper him, that he thinkes euery quarter an houre till the plaine fellow hath done: and it may be, he will haue the manners (as the manner of some is) to rise from the Board while the best dish is a caruing, the best point in handling, which might doe him most good, if he would but stay and take it with him. A fourth comes with a dirtie face, and hands imbrued in blood, a drunkard, a swearer, a lyer, a deceiuer, an Vsurer, a mercilesse oppressor, and knowne to be so, as manifestly as the dirt is to beseene vpon the face, that it hath defiled, and blood on the handes (without a gloue) that are besmeared with it. A fift sort, come all vn­braced before (I had almost said, with brests layd out like Whores and Iezebells) but I am sure, with breasts open, with hearts naked, vnarmed, vnfenced against the least assault, for want of due preparation; insomuch, that if the Deuill [Page 37] doth but shoot the dart of pleasure, the world of vaine pro­fit, and the flesh play its part, while the Minister is speaking and they hearing, they are so stricken, so intoxicated, so vainely busied, that they get no more good to their soules, then they to their bodies, who, sitting at a Kings Table, doe so dreame of honours and preferments, which shall neuer be, that they minde nothing lesse then the bits that are car­ued them, and the meate which is before them, and so rise without tasting one bit of the feast. A sixt comes without his girdle, without sinceritie, hypocritically, formally, for fashion, company, and custome. A seaventh commeth in the Deuills habite (if the Deuill hath any habite) in a strange dresse, proud like the Deuill, and craftie like the Deuill. So proud, that he thinkes, he knowes as much as any can teach him; and therefore if the Preacher trips a little, and doth not carry his matter smoothly and Scholler-like before him (as all cannot, for all haue not an equall gift of Art and vt­terance) he laughs in his sleeue; or else so craftie, that he comes to catch the Minister, as the Scribes to trap our Saui­our and entangle him in his talke, not with a simple, and honest heart, to learne Gods will, and to haue a sight of Christ, to supply the necessitie of his soule. And lastly, who amongst vs all doe not come many times with dirtie feete, with impure affections, into Gods Sanctuary, bringing a great deale of worldlinesse, a great deale of drowsinesse with vs. And albeit, we haue smarted for it (in being sent away from many a Sermon, without the sweet bits we were wont to haue, as a iust desert of our negligence to prepare our selues) yet we haue not so shaken off our slightnesse of preparation as we should; Who, who of vs (I say) fayle not this way? If our husband were not extraordinarily in loue with vs, and willing sometimes to beare with vs in our night-attire, as well as to respect vs in our handsomer dresse, he might euen say to vs that are dearest vnto him; What doe you here in my presence at my Word, so disordered, so distem­pered, so vnprepared?

As thus many come vnmannerly to his Word, so as many come as rudely to, 2. Irreuerence and irreligion at Baptisme taxed. and carry themselues as irreverently at his Sacraments. How many simple soules bring their Chil­dren to Baptisme, scarce knowing wherefore Baptisme serues, what vse it ought to be off to themselues, what vse in time it may be off to their littles ones? How many are present at that Sacrament, when it is administred, who neither can, nor care to meditate vpon such things, as then and there, are to be thought vpon: their eyes are so taken vp with gazing, their tongues sometimes with talking with those that sit next them, and their hearts with such wandering thoughts, that there is no roome for diuiner meditations, suiting the occa­sion, about the Vow made in Baptisme, about the benefits offred in Baptisme, and the ends of Baptisme; no faith, no prayers set a worke for the good of the partie Baptized, and the like.

3. Abuse of the Lords Supper.And lastly, for the Lords Supper, how many come to that, who are partakers at the Table of Devills. It is lamen­table to consider, what ignorant, vnbeleeuing, irrepentant, disobedient Communicants, thrust themselues vpon this Ordinance, that haue neither skill, nor conscience, to exa­mine and prepare themselues before receiuing; that know not what to doe, how to behaue themselues in the time of receiuing, not how to set their faith a worke towards God, in the apprehension of his loue, not how to set their loue a-worke towards beleevers, whom they communicate withall, that know not what to doe after receiuing; frequenting this feast for custome and fashion, partaking after a grosse and carnall manner, not discerning the Lords body, not making any difference betwixt common Bread, and common Wine, and Sacramentall. Well then, (beloued) this irreuerent and irreligious frequenting of Gods publique, sacred, Ordi­nances, by such multitudes of people, duely considered, can a word of reproofe come out of season? I am sure, here wants no ground for it in the Doctrine wee haue now in hand.

Are we well advised, who is here? who trow we is present at the Word, at the Sacraments? Is not the King himselfe? And what King? Why, the King of glory, the great mag­nificent Spouse, and Bride-grome of the Church; His royall, his stately, his honourable, his comfortable presence is there; There he sits, and there he communicates what euer he sees needfull for his Brides salvation. Shall wee then dare to come so rudely, not feare to goe so irreligiously into HIS presence? Is he present while his Ministers Preach? and shall we come to the Word with sleepie eyes, itching eares, dirtie faces, proud conceits of our owne knowledge, craftie in­tentions, to catch the Preacher, naked hearts, without grace to beleeue, without will to apply the things that are taught vs? Come we hither like hypocrites? come hither to scoffe, to sleepe, to laugh? Is Christ present in Baptisme? and shall wee presume to neglect all meditation for our selues, all inuocation for the partie Baptized? Is he lastly, present in the Eucharist? And dare wee to goe to that feast without our wedding gar­ment, without knowledge, faith, repentance, obedience, and loue? dare we goe to that without any due examination of our soules before hand, concerning the forenamed gra­ces, whither we haue them or no? dare wee receiue grosse­ly and carnally at that, and not shew our selues thankefull, by our new obedience, after we haue eaten of this Supper? Will these things (thinke wee) be well taken at our hands? Is it not greatly to the dishonour of the King? An earthly King will not endure it, that any of HIS guests should come with dirtie shooes into HIS DINING ROOME, lesse can he abide, that they should come vnhandsomely, vncomely to his owne TABLE. Doth not this heauenly King stand as much vpon his honour as an earthly? He doth. Oh folly to be reproved, oh impudency to be condemned then, to goe so vnpreparedly to, to be so vnreuerent at, the Preaching of the Word, and partaking of the Sacraments, which is the Table whereat Christ sitteth. Verily, if this re­buke availes not with vs, to humble vs for the dishonour thus offered to this Sitter at this Board with his Church, [Page 40] wee may be sure he will deale with vs, as the King in the Gospell did with him whom he found at the feast without a wedding garment: Binde vs hand and foote, and cast vs into vtter darkenesse, where is weeping, and wayling, and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22..

Vse 4 That I may therefore in the fourth place (and not vnfitly) subioyne a word of Exhortation, let the thought of this pre­sence of Christ in these Ordinances, stirre vs vp to that re­uerence and preparation, that the former reproued number doe want. Be wee to goe but to a feast at an ordinary Gentle­mans house, if we know the master of the family will beare vs company at it, wee are very carefull to brush our gar­ments, to robe our selues with our holi-day cloathes, to put on cleane linnen, to wash our face, eyes, and handes, to scoure and sharpen our kniues, that so, for want of hand­somnesse in our attire, or by meanes of hackling our meate with blunt kniues, we may neither offend the guests that sit with vs, nor grieue the master that bad vs, nor shame our selues; The like spirituall care let there be in vs to fit our selues when wee come to Wisedomes dainties. When the Is­raelites were to haue the Lord to descend amongst them on Mount Sinai, I reade Exod. 9.10. they were to wash their cloathes, and sanctifie themselues. Their course must wee imitate when we ascend to Gods Mount, and goe vp to his house (where he is present) to heare his Word, or receiue the Sacraments. We must be cleansed, and sanctified, that so when wee are there, we may giue him the honour of his holy presence, and neither dishonour him, nor disgrace our selues.

Doct. 4 WEE will now proceed to the second poynt, That while Christ is present with his Church in his Ordinan­ces, shee sendeth forth the sauour of Faith and good Workes. Compare a few places of Scripture together, and you shall see this to be very firme. In the Acts of the Apostles wee may reade, that Christ had beene present by the Ministry of Paul at Phillippi Act. 16.14., at Thessalonica Act. 17.2., at Rome Act. 28.31.. And Saint Paul in his writings vnto the Saints, in these places, speakes [Page 41] of their Faith and good Workes Rom. 1.8. Phil. 1.7.9.16.11. 1 Thes. 1.7.8., which like a precious oynt­ment, did diffuse themselues in their Odour ouer the world.

Vse 1 I propound this (in the first place) for a rule of tryall, whereby to examine our selues, whither we be members of the true Church, yea or no. This great Bridegrome in­deed, Christ Iesus, hath spread a Table amongst vs, and a plentifull one too. But, haue wee Faith? What are our fruits? Wee heare much, wee pray oft, wee frequent the Table of the Lord, wee discourse many times; but are all these perfumed with beleeuing? Doe wee endeuour so to walke, that our Faith may be spoken off; and that through­out the whole course of our liues, wee may send forth a sweete odour to refresh the nostrills of the godly, though the wicked (who can thinke well neither of the wayes, nor workers of righteousnesse) be offended with the same? If yea, then Christ by his grace hath beene present with vs in his Ordinances, hath contracted vs vnto himselfe, and gi­uen himselfe as an husband vnto vs, betwixt whom and vs, all the powers of darkenesse are not able to force a divorce­ment. But if otherwise; though wee haue beene neuer so oft at this Bride-gromes Table, heard hundreths of Ser­mons, oft communicated at the Supper of the Lord, yet we are but onely visible members of the outward assemblyes, no spirituall limmes of the misticall body.

Vse 2 Therefore, secondly, this doth notably confound the foo­lish conceit of all them, who brag that Christ is their hus­band, and they be betrothed vnto him, and yet are nothing, but full of infidelitie, and impietie, of vnfaithfulnesse, and vn­fruitfulnesse in their hearts, in their liues. Our dayes afford store of such, in whose vessels, there is not one dramme of Spikenard, to cast forth any sweete sauour, either to GOD, or godly men, but rather (with the people in Ioels time Ioel 2.20.) their stinke goes vp (into the nostrils of God) and their worme­wood sends forth the bitternesse thereof: The stinke of their sinnes diffuseth it selfe to the offending of the children of God, to the infecting of the children of men. A good man can [Page 40] [...] [Page 41] [...] [Page 42] scarce in any corner auoyde the smell of their impious and vnrighteous fruits, of their lies, slaunders, blasphemies, ri­baldries, and other idle speeches; but shall be compelled to sent them in euery place, as strong, as noysome, as Brim­stone; to force sighes from his heart, and teares from his eyes. And how odiously their VNBELIEFE doth affect the KINGS smell, their distrust in Gods providence, their discontentednesse in prosperitie, their impatience in adver­sitie, senselesnesse of, and vtter carelesnesse for, the comforts of the Spirit, doe euidently and woefully declare; And yet these people (forsooth) esteeme themselues to be the Bride of Christ. But to consider, how they are deceiued, it pitties my heart. What? know they not, see they not, that Christ his Bride is not (while her husband sits at Table) without her perfume to please him, and affect the virgins that be her fellowes? Now alas, these vaine-boasters, are as emptie of this perfume as the foolish Virgins lampes were of oyle. They haue nothing but the oyntments of Harlots in their Boxes (their soules I meane) and about their bodies. And dare they challenge Christ for their Spouse? As though he will linke himselfe with such? No, no. Let them with Bar­nabas get to be full of faith Act. 11.24., and with Dorcas to be full of good Workes Act. 9.36., that God and man may smell the sauour of their Spikenard, and then they may be beleeved, when they affirme themselues to belong to Christ; but while then, they doe but flatter themselues, and deceiue others.

Doct. 5 LAstly, Obserue, that Christians may sometimes lawfully speake of their owne faith and good workes. The Church had Spikenard, and here shee speakes of it, and of the sweet smell it cast forth. How oft doth Dauid speake of his faith, and his good fruits, in the Booke of the Psalmes, sometimes reporting how he trusted in God Psal 64., sometimes how he pray­ed vnto him Psal. 3.4.34.4., sometimes how he confessed his sinnes vnto him Psal. 32.5., sometimes how he loued him Psal. 116.1., sometimes how he delighted in the Saints Psal. 16.3., sometimes how he pittied his very enemies Psal. 35.14., sometimes he speakes of his vpright walking Psal. 18.23., [Page 43] sometimes of his holy talking Psal. 39.1., sometimes of his zeale for Gods glory Ps. 119.139., &c. Thus also did Iob Iob 29. c. 31., Ezekiah Isa. 38.3., Paul 2 Tim. 4.7., and others of the Worthies', whom the Scripture recordeth. And good cause why.

Reason 1 For, first, God receiues much honour when wee speake of the graces, which he bestoweth vpon vs. Hence it is that wee shall finde Dauid, which reported so much of his owne graces, euer and anon, professing his resolution, to sound forth the Lords prayses.

Reason 2 Secondly, sometimes the wicked will rayse slaunders of the godly, as though they were a great deale worse then they are: and therefore to cleere themselues from those reproches, and so to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace, they may, yea, and they must make profession of their integri­tie, and faith. What was it which moued Paul, to speake so of his honestie, as he did; Wee haue renounced the hidden things of dishonestie, not walking in craftinesse, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully. 2 Cor. 4.2. But this, that (as it seemes) in the former Chapter, certaine false Apostles had slaunde­red him to be a vaine-glorious fellow? Which imputation, to free himselfe from, he spake so of his owne sinceritie as he did.

Reason. 3 Thirdly, there are many occasions giuen vnto Christi­ans, to haue hard conceits of their brethren, partly, by rea­son of some infirmities they see in them, partly, by reason of some troubles that fall vpon them. And therefore it is law­full, and sometimes needfull for them, to speake of the good things that God hath wrought in them. If you aske, wherefore Paul speakes to Timothy of his keeping the faith, and fighting a good fight 2 Tim 4.7., Polan. Synt. Lib. 9. c. 8. Pag. 597. One answereth it, because the present trouble which he was in, by the meanes of Nero, might occasion Timothy his Scholler, and others which had beene his hearers, to question the foundnesse of his faith, and honestie, which was so rewarded wi [...]h affliction, and which faith of his was not like to procure such temporall deliuerances at the hands of God, as formerly it had done. So then, partly, that Beleeuers may honour their God, [Page 44] partly, free themselues from euill reproches cast vpon them by the wicked, and partly, prevent vncharitable conceits of themselues in their godly brethren, they may lawfully speake of their owne Spikenard, of that Faith and those good Workes which the Lord hath besweetned, both their hearts, and their lines withall.

Ʋse 1 The consideration of this, giues me iust occasion, 1. to finde fault with those Christians which will euer be talking of their infirmities, that they haue no grace, no faith, no good­nesse at all in them. And yet their consciences can tell them that such and such things the Lord hath inwardly ingrafted in them, such and such fruits the Lord hath enabled them outwardly to bring forth in their liues. They know that at such and such a Sermon, the Lord so and so affected their hearts, at such a time gaue them victory ouer such a temptation, at such a time enabled them so and so to pray, yea, so and so answered their prayers, to testifie the accepta­blenes of the same; At other times, so and so accheered them with the assurance of his loue, so and so enliued them in the performance of such and such duties; yet because (forsooth) it is not alwayes alike with them, and the De­uill tells them, they are dissemblers, they cry out, I am an hypocrite, a naughtie packe, a wicked creature, nothing but euill lodgeth in me, no whit of goodnesse dwell; in mee, I haue no faith, I haue no zeale, I haue no soundnesse, no honestie, &c. Is this to honour God with, and for, the good things he hath done for thee? wrought in thee? Nay, rather is it not to dishonour him, in that thou doest not take notice of his graces, which he hath giuen thee? This is enough to expose the Gospell to disgrace amongst the enemies of the truth. This is enough to make Christians themselues thinke more hardly of thee then there is cause. For, when as thou art so peremptory in it, that thou art an hypocrite, a varlet, a wretch. What will the world say of thee, and such as make professi­on with thee? Even THIS; See, see, what arrant hypocrites these Gospellers are, their owne consciences accuse them, their owne mouths condemne them, there is neuer an one of them ALL [Page 45] good. Thou art much too blame then, whosoeuer thou art, that art so readie to take part with the Deuill against thy selfe, when yet the Lord in mercy, hath annoynted thy soule with the Spikenard of heaven, when both thy faith and inte­gritie of life, haue sent forth their sweet sauour to God, and to men?

Ʋse 2 Let me perswade thee to striue against this euill, to take notice of, and (when God may haue any glory, others any good by it) make report, of what the Lord hath done for thy soule. Thou mayst lawfully doe it, yea, (and if need require) thou must doe it. Yet with this caution, avoyding pride as much as may be. Not vaine-gloriously, as Peter did, when he sayd, Master wee haue forsaken all, and followed thee, what therefore shall be giuen vs Mat. 19.37.? For this is a thing God would be displeased with, and it is the propertie of worldlings and wicked ones so to speake, viz. of that which indeed they haue not, and doe not.

But first in humilitie, as acknowledging all to come from God.

Secondly, with a desire to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace, when euill mouthes falsely doe reproch thee.

Thirdly, with a desire to reioyce the hearts of thy godly brethren.

Fourthly, to draw on others to a loue of that Word, whereby God hath wrought such good in thee.

And lastly, to cleere thine owne innocency, when that is called into question.

After this manner, and to these ends thou mayest make profession of thy graces; and with the Church. thy Mother here, tell it abroad to others; My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

The second generall part of the Text. NOW commending to GODS blessing what hath beene spoken, touching the Commendation which the Bride giues her Spouse from HIS Greatnesse, I proceed to the prayse of HIS goodnesse, or sweetnesse in the next words.

IN which words, we haue two things to consider, 1. What this sweetnesse is for the subiect matter. 2. What this sweet­nesse worketh for the subsequent effect. The thing it selfe is a bundle of Myrrhe, in the former part of the verse; A bun­dle of Myrrhe is my well-beloued vnto mee. The following ef­fect that it worketh, is a resolution of the Church, to keepe this sweetnesse, in the clause of the Verse; He shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts.

Let vs set vpon the first; A bundle of Myrrhe is my well be­loued vnto me. These words would well admit of a subdiui­sion, if it were needfull. But an Interpretation will serue our turne well enough: that therefore the kernell may appeare, let vs breake the shell by giuing the sense.

That R. Selo. Author, Interpretati­on. who expounds the former Verse by the sinne of Israell, in erecting, and worshipping the golden calfe, and by the displeasure that Iehovah conceiued at it, doth ex­pound these words, by the Lords pacification, or being plea­sed with Israell after this their sinne. As imagining the con­gregation of Israell to speake thus; Though I the Synagogue of the Israelites, did cast forth a stinking smell to the Lord by my I­dolatry, in worshipping the Golden calfe, yet NOW he is appea­sed with me, become sweet and gracious vnto mee, whereof a bun­dle of Myrrhe is a symbole and signe: But this Exposition is too Iewish.

He that applyes the former Verse to the times of King Asa, Brig [...]stm. and to the Vow that the Tribes made in the 15. yeare of his Raigne, doth apply these words to the times of Ieho­saphat, Asa's successor, according to the storie written 2 Chron. 17.7.8.9. &c. And by the bundle of Myrrhe, he vnderstands, the sweetnesse of knowledge, which abounded in the dayes of Iehosaphat, by the care which that good King had to send Priests and Levites, with the booke of the Law, through the Tribes of Iudah, and Beniamin; as though Sa­lomon by the spirit of Prophesie should foreshew the Israeli­tish Church in Iehosaphats time, to speake thus to the prayse of God;

In the dayes of Asa, I made a vow vnto thee, to serue thee, and for such a King as HE was my Spikenard of Religion cast forth a smell vnto thee: But now thou hast giuen me sweeter times, more abundance of knowledge, in bestowing vpon me so perfect, so vpright, so carefull a King as Iehosaphat is, in so much that though I had sweete dayes before, yet these that now I see, doe as much in meanes excell the former, as Myrrhe in sweetnes doth excell Spikenard. This meaning doe I like of neither, as confining the Text.

Others therefore (walking in a more spatious field) ap­ply it to the Church of euery age, or to euery particular be­leeuer: And amongst them, some say one thing, some ano­ther. Soto. Maior. Some, by the bundle of Myrrhe, vnderstand the death and passion of Christ, because Myrrhe (as they say) was vsed [Page 48] in Burialls. Genebr. Others, the immortalitie of the soule, because Myrrhe is an Embleme of incorruption.

The first rea­son, why by Myrrhe is meant iusti­fication.But I had rather vnderstand, the benefit of Iustification. And that first of all, because at this Center, the somewhat differing opinions of Interpreters doe meete; For when as some expound it of the death of Christ, doth not the Church smell the sweetnes of his Death by the benefit of Iustificati­on? When as As Merc. and Piscator doe. others doe meane a most excellent and sweet Odour which the Church doth draw from Christ, by the nostrils of faith, is not Iustification the ground of this smell? yea, the assurance of Iustification is this smell it selfe.

Reas. 2 Besides, I am sure, Myrrhe doth symbolize and resem­ble Iustification very fitly.

Di [...]scorid. li. 1. c. 67.First, Myrrhe distilleth from a tree full of prickes, much like the Egyptian thorne. And whence comes our righte­ousnesse and justification, but from that tree of Gods eter­nall planting, Christ Iesus, who was persecuted, thorned, and pierced for our sinnes.

Impetigines purgat idem ibid.Secondly, Myrrhe is of soueraigne vertue, to cleanse the Leprosie of the body; so is Iustification to purge our Leprous and sinfull soules.

Horrores dis­cutit, &c. id. ib.Thirdly, It is good against trembling, and the shaking of the ague; so is justification against a trembling heart, and horror of conscience.

Wee see then, what is meant by Myrrhe. And Bundle here, is as much as a ball of Myrrhe, or a bunch of Myrrhe; My­stically an Author of righteousnesse, or Iustifier, [is my well-be­loued] that is, Christ, so stiled by a loue-title, which the Church giueth him, because that he setteth his loue strong­ly vpon her. [To me] that is, to me the Church militant; Paraphase. I smell the sweetnesse of Iustification out of the bundle of his merits, who is my most louing and well-beloued Spouse.

Our conclusions from hence are these three. 1. That Christ alone is the Iustifier of the Church, his loue being the cause and ground of it. 2. That the Church alone is iustified by Christ. 3. That onely beleevers doe smell the sweetnes of this benefit of iustification.

The first of these points hath two parts. Doct. That Christ in loue iusti­fieth his peo­ple. 1. That Christians are iustified by Christ Iesus alone; 2. That it is from his meere loue: 1. Part of the Doct. proued. That Iesus is the iustifier of the Church, is as euident as can be, as from hence, where the Church calleth him Her bundle of Myrrhe. So out of the writings of the Prophets; My righteous seruant shall iustifie many Isa. 53.11.. Their righteousnesse is of ME, saith the Lord Isa. 54.17.. Is it not the Angell Christ, that takes away from Iosuah (the type of the Church) his filthy gar­ments, that causeth his iniquitie to passe from him, and clotheth him with change of rayment. Euen with his owne righteous­nesse, as Zachary sheweth Zach. 3.3.4.? It is plaine also out of the wri­tings of the Apostle. By the obedience of ONE (meaning Christ) shall MANY (meaning the Church) be made righteous Rom. 5.19.. He made him sinne for vs, who knew no sinne, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21.. If while we seeke to be iustified by Christ, we our selues are also found sinners Gal. 2.17., &c. And still the Scripture runnes vpon this, that by Christ we are reconciled vnto God, cleansed from sinne, redeemed out of the handes of our enemies; He therefore is our Iusti­fier, and none other: not excluding the Father, A caueat. or the holy Ghost, who haue a stroke in this Worke, as well as the Sonne.

As for that other branch of the poynt, The 2. part of the Doct. pro­ued. that his loue is the ground of this grace, the title Well-beloued, which the church here giueth him, will well carrie it, and els-where the holy Ghost confirmes it. By MERCY and truth is iniquitie purged Pro. 16.6., saith the Wiseman. Being iustified freely by his GRACE, through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3.24.. That being iustified by his GRACE, wee should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life, saith the Apostle.

Did not Christ alone satisfie the wrath of the Father? The Reason of both the parts of the Doct. together. did He not tread the Wine-presse Isa. 63.3. alone? What earthly man holpe him in his Actiue obedience, to performe, a perfect, com­plete, and entire, seruice to euery iot that the Law requireth? What mortall wight, nay, what creature in heauen or earth ayded him in his Passiue obedience; had the whole wrath of the Father, due to the sinne of man, in full measure poured [Page 50] forth vpon him? Speaketh the Prophet of any els but Christ when he saith, Isa. 53.5. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was vpon him? And would he euer haue vndergone this, endured this, had it not beene for loue? Doubtlesse, He would not. Very well therefore doth the Church here, to acknowledge her Well beloued to be this Bundle of Myrrhe, and to giue to him, Obiection. Answ. and his loue alone, the honour of her iustification, when as He alone payd the price to purchase it; and when as both the passion and compassion is his owne.

Fide sola.If any shall Obiect, that wee are iustified by Faith, or by Faith alone, therefore not wholly, not onely by Christ.

It must be answered, that this is to be vnderstood in ano­ther sence. Wee are iustified by faith, as by an instrumentall cause; by Christ as an efficient and fundamentall. For no more is faith the primary cause of my iustification, then my hand is the cause of the supply of my wants, by a piece of money, which the mercy of another furnisheth mee with. That proposition; Parae ad Heb. p. 460 Solafide, exclu­duntur vero nō causae superio­res, gratia Dei & meritum Christi, sed &c. Wee are iustified by faith ALONE (a speech much vsed by Orthodoxall Writers) doth not exclude the causes of Iustification without our selues, but it doth include onely but Quotie dici­tur, Solafides iustificat, osten­ditur solamfidē esse vnicum ar­gumentum, & vnicam facul­tatem quâ reci­pitur iustitia Christi. Selnec. Tract. 3. de fid. & Sacram. Thes 1. one facultie in our selues, by which alone wee doe apprehend that righteousnesse of Christ, which the Lord doth impute vnto vs for our Iustification. Whereup­on, saith one; By faith alone, are not excluded superior causes, as, the grace of God, the merit of Christ, but middle causes, which are coyned by hypocrites, as, the strength of free will workes, me­rits, &c. So that by faith wee are instrumentally iustified, by the obedience of Christ formally, as Tom 5 in epist. ad Eph p. 83. col. 2. Zanchius sheweth. For in Iustification, Bucer. in iusti­ficatione fides nihil dat sed tantum accipit, & quod accipit, eo ipso iustifica­mur. Faith giues nothing, but onely receiueth, and what it receiueth, (being Christ and his righteousnesse) by that very same thing are we iustified. So that it may very well be affirmed, that faith iustifieth alone, and yet be a truth too which (I am in hand withall) that by Christ alone wee are iustified.

Ʋse 1 And for currant might this Doctrine goe through all Christendome, Against the Papists. were it not for Antichrist, and his Babylo­nish [Page 51] followers, of whom when I thought, there came to mind a wise speech of a graue Tertull. Apol. p. 815. Nisi homini De­us plaeuerit, deus non erit, homo iam Deo propitiùs esse debebit. The Papists deny Christ to be our a­lone iustifier three wayes. 1. By their blasphemous Canons. Father to allude to; God should be God, if man would let him, God now belike must stand to mans curtesie for his superioritie: So may I say of the Papists; Iesus should be Iesus, if they would let him, the ALONE iustifier of his people, if THEY would permit him, and belike, He must stand to THEIR caruing for the honour of this Worke: For they are very bold to rob him of his glory which he de­serues, and his Bride here giues him, and him alone for this grace. Neither let any say, I doe them wrong.

For, first of all, doth not the Councell of Trent In Decret. de iustif. Can. 10. &, absolutely lay downe this? If any shall affirme, that men are iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ formally, let him be accursed. And im­mediately after; Canon. XI. Si quis dixerit homines iustifi­cari vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi, &c. 2. By attribu­ting of iusti­fication to the dignitie of faith. If any man shall say, that men are iustified ei­ther by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse alone, or that the grace whereby we are iustified, is onely the fauour of God, let him be Anathema.

Secondly, doe they not ascribe Iustification to the dignitie of faith? What meanes els that Position of theirs; That wee are prepared by faith to some meritorious act of loue, which act of loue doth informe faith, and so dignifie it, that then the person that hath it, deserueth acceptance at Gods handes. And this As­sertion, they are very stiffe in, Obiect. alledging for it the Apostles wordes, To him that beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngod­ly, is his faith accounted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5. Answ., that is (say they) God accounts that faith which he findes in a sinner, so wor­thy thy that it doth deserue an habite of righteousnesse, by which the sinner may be iustified. But (as the Proverbe is) An ill glosse corrupteth the Text. For this Exposition holdes neither with the analogie of faith, nor with the scope of the place. Not with the analogie of faith, for it is directly against the Scripture, that a man may be a wicked man, and yet haue some thing in him worthy of iustification. Not with the scope of the place; For there the Apostles ayme is (being in disputation about iustification) to show, that there is an Antithesis, or contra­diction betwixt the righteousnesse of Christ, and the righte­ousnesse of a man out of Christ; and not to show, that faith [Page 52] informed by charitie, doth by condignitie, merit the iustify­ing of the sinner in the sight of God.

3. By main­taining iustifi­cation by Workes.Thirdly, how peremptorily doe they stand for justifica­tion by Workes, abusing for their purpose many places of Scripture: as,

Obiect. 1 First, that of Iames, Iam. 2.24. Answ. Yee see then how that by workes a man is iustified, and not by faith alone; when as (as it is well knowne) the drift of the Apostle is there to show, that good workes declare a man to be iust before men, and doe not make a man iust in the sight of God.

Obiect. 2 Secondly, they bring in that of the Psalmist, Psal. 18.20.24. Answ. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the cleannesse of my handes hath he recompenced mee. But alas, to little purpose; For the Prophet in that place, as some ob­serue, doth not speake of iustification, but Certum est Dauidem hoc Psalmo, nihil aliud canere de Deo, quā quòd per illum libe­ratus fit ab ho­stibus &c. Muscul, ad loc. onely of the deli­verance that God gaue him out of the hands of his enemies; which deliuerance also, he doth not attribute to the merit of his owne righteousnesse; (For that he disclaimes, vers. 19. saying; He deliuered me, because he had a FAVOVR vnto me) but onely he acknowledgeth, that that deliverance was a testimony of his integritie, how naught and vniust soeuer his enemies falsely accounted and accused him to be.

Many of the like places doe they thus abuse; abuse (I say) and whither I speake right or no, I appeale not onely to S ^t Paul, whose drift is in the fiue first Chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes, to ouerthrow iustification by Workes; but also to one of their owne Aquin, Super Gal. c. 3. Lec 4. Opera non sunt causa quod ali­quis sit iustus apud Deum, &c. Doctors, whose very wordes are these; Workes are not the cause that any man is righteous before God, but rather they are the fruits and declarations of righteous­nesse. And indeed how can we be iustified by workes, when as by the confession of the Papists Caiet, in epist. ad Roman. c. 3. fol. 10. themselues; the righte­ousnesse of Workes cannot blot out sinnes, but leaues a man in the same. Thus while the Papists doe partly curse those that hold justification by the free mercy of God, and partly ascribe it to the dignitie of Faith, and partly to the merit of good Workes, doe they not rob Christ of that praise which his great kindnesse in iustifying a poore sinner doth deserue? [Page 53] Dealing with this bundle of spirituall Myrrhe, as some Petrus de la Primaud. Franc. Acad. part. 3. c. 69. re­port the Arabian followers of Mahomet to deale with that corporall Myrrhe, which they bring to Alexandria to sell, vsing a thousand deceits to sophisticate it, and gull Christi­ans with it, that buy it. So they (I say) adulterate this preci­ous Doctrine with their owne deceipts and deuices, and would thrust it for good ware, and sound vpon the common sort; But I pray God, they may neuer haue any vent for such deceitfull Myrrhe, and counterfeit righteousnesse a­mongst vs. I am sure, the Church entertaines no such stuffe here; but speakes all to the commendation of her Beloued, admitting of no Myrrhe, no righteousnesse, but his owne, to prayse him, and to commend by. But to leaue them as confuted, let vs come to our selues.

Ʋse 2 I would to God, there were not some Popish Protestants amongst our selues, who must haue some perfume in Na­tures garden to smell on, some naturall or morall plant of their owne, to put into this Bundle, to mingle with Christs righteousnesse, to iustifie them in the sight of God. Some good desires, deedes, devotions, which they much brag off, and stand vpon, for which God is forsooth bound to accept them, and to like of them. To whom I may say truely, as Elihu in another case to Iob; Behold, in THIS thou art not iust Iob 33.12.. It may be thou art of a gentle nature, of a curteous be­hauiour, somewhat disposed to liberalitie out of a vaine-glorious humour, canst not away with the company of the prodigall; must God of necessitie iustifie thee, like of thee for these things? Yes, that he must, and doth too, I would be sorry els; I am sure, he would not like of me, if I should swill, and curse, and steale, and quarrell, &c. thats true; for he cannot away with these grosse euills; the committers of them are abominable vnto him. Yet notwithstanding, to conclude, that thy morall vertues can iustifie thee before him, is little differing from plaine Popery. And I tell thee in standing vpon this thou doest Papist-like rob Christ of his glory, and deny him that prayse which the members of the Church doe here giue him, as his due in this Text. They [Page 54] say not here, A bundle of Myrrhe is my Well-beloued, and my Spikenard vnto me, but my Well-beloued alone. They acknow­ledge all in the matter of justification, to come from Christ Iesus, issuing and springing from the fountaine of his free loue. They know, that the best righteousnesse in themselues is (as the Prophet speaketh) as an vncleane thing, and filthy rags Isa. 64.6.: and that in the best actions they doe, if their imper­fections be not couered in Christ, and sweetned with the Myrrhe of his righteousnesse, there is more cause of damna­tion to be found in them then saluation. It is by grace that wee are iustified, not by Workes. The very faithfull them­selues please God no otherwise then in Christ. Neither their loue, nor faith, nor good fruites, can for the dignitie of the same, deserue absolution before Gods tribunall. Now then if the graces that are inwardly wrought, and the Workes that doe outwardly appeare in beleevers themselues, can procure no further acceptance at Gods handes, then their persons stand iustified, and their sinnes acquitted before GOD in Christ, then questionles (as God once told the idolatrous Israelites) neither thy Workes, nor thy righteousnesse will profit thee Isa. 57.12., to iustification, that art but carnall, but ciuill. That then I may cease to confute thee, & be a counseller vnto thee, Vse 3. Exhortation to disclaime our owne righteousnes. let me exhort thee, willingly to giue the Well beloued of the Church, the glory of this grace alone. Mingle not thy righ­teousnesse with his in the matter of iustification; such a mix­ture, such a composition stinkes before the Lord. I finde in the old Exod. 30.34.35.38. Law, how that the Lord commanded Moses to make a sweete perfume of Stacte, Onicha, Galbanum, and Franckinsence, and to temper it after the art of an Apothecary, holy and pure. Concerning which, he threatned that who­soeuer should presume to make the like, to smell thereto, that soule should be cut off from the Lords people. And hath the Father commanded a greater then Moses, euen his onely be­gotten Sonne, to temper an exact and most pure perfume of his owne righteousnesse and obedience for the Father to smell on, that he might be pacified with the Elect, for the Elect to smell on, that they might be iust before GOD. [Page 55] And shall mortall, sinfull, man (contrary to Gods charge) presume to compose the like, out of his owne righteousnes, and yet the Lord endure it, reckon that person amongst the number of his owne people? No, no. The ciuillest person that liues vnder the cope of heauen, shall greatly displease the Lord, if he presumes to offer it. Didst thou equall, nay excell the most vertuous moralists that euer were, in iustice, temperance, magnanimitie, affabilitie, and the like, yet thou must esteeme all these as nought in comparison of the righte­ousnesse of Christ crucified. Learne therefore, learne, I beseech thee, to disclaime thine owne righteousnesse; Shuffle, oh shuffle not in the merit, the dignitie of any good deedes, or de­sires of thine owne, into this bundle, least like the mixture of Opocalpasum with Myrrhe, it proue deadly to thy soule, as that to the body As Mathiolus cites it out of Galen. Opocal­pasum exitiale est, multos (que) nos sorte quadam vidimus nostrae aetatis de cursu mori quòd inscij Myrrham, cui Opocalpasum admistum erat, assumpsissent. Mathio. Com­ment. in Dios. li. 1. c. 67. Pag. 77.: and thou neuer smell the sweetnesse of the same, in assurance thou art iustified, to thy consolation here, and salvation hereafter.

Now to the end thou mayest learne to disclaime thine owne righteousnesse indeede. This threefold Meditation will be very availeable.

Three medi­tations, to fur­ther vs in dis­claiming our owne righte­ousnesse.First, that mans righteousnesse, cannot acquit him, dis­charge him, before the Iudge.

Secondly, that it breaketh euery way, that it can fulfill no way the Law of God perfectly, and entirely; it omitteth much good, it committeth much euill, that good which it doth, it doth not aright, that euill which it escheweth, is es­chewed for by-respects.

Thirdly, Meditate, that the worthiest and holiest of the Saints of God, haue cryed out of it, neuer looked to be iu­stified by it. As Dauid; In sinne Lord hath my Mother concei­ued me Psal. 51.5.: and Iob; The Angels are vncleane before thee, how much more abhominable is man that is borne of a woman Iob 15.15.16.. And Paul; I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18..

These three things, I say, feriously and wisely thought of, and paused vpon, will much further thee to thinke meanely of thine owne righteousnesse, beest thou neuer so [Page 56] ciuill: Wilt thou know how? I will show thee. The first Meditation, will driue thee to speake thus betwixt God and thy soule; Good Lord, cannot all my righteousnesse cleere me be­fore thy Tribunall? notwithstanding my ciuilitie, my fidelitie in keeping my word, my gentlenes of nature, my abstaining from the grosse, and enormious vices of the times, doe I not stand dischar­ged before thee the most vpright and vnpartiall Iudge? Lord, why should I then stand vpon my righteousnesse? Oh, cause me to ab­horre my selfe in dust and ashes.

The second Meditation, will driue thee to this? What? and for all my righteousnes, doe I breake thy Law, transgresse thy Commandements, in the omission of good, in the commission of e­uill, in the doing of good, and forsaking of euill, after a wrong manner? Lord, I perceiue then by this, that I cannot be iustified in thy sight by my selfe; when as that righteousnesse which iusti­fieth before thee, must performe an exact obedience to thy most righteous Law, without sweruing one iot from the same.

The third Meditation will, by the grace of God, worke, in some such wise, with thee as this is; Lord, haue the best that euer were cryed out of their owne filthinesse, complained of their natiue vilenes, denied their owne righteousnesse? and shall I be puffed vp with an opinion of mine owne worth? Did so holy a man as Dauid was, so patient a man as Iob was, so good a man as Paul was, cast downe their crownes before the Lambe, ac­knowledge that in themselues was nothing but sinne, no cleanenes, no good thing? and shall I, a vile creature, farre inferiour to the least of them, stand vpon my patience, my honestie, my goodnesse? Lord, let it be farre from me, &c. And when these Meditati­ons haue brought thee to this passe, produced these effects; tell me whither then it can be possible for thee, to sing any Song but this, in regard of thy iustification; None but Christ, none but Christ: His righteousnesse, his righteousnesse alone, to discharge me before the Iudge, to fulfill the Law for me, to cure my spirituall sickenes, to couer my naturall filthinesse.

If these Meditations were but duely made vse of by our ciuill Iustitiarians themselues, they would vaile the Bonet, come downe a peg lower in their owne conceits, and runne [Page 57] altogether out of the garden of nature, into the garden of grace for this Myrrhe, and depend vpon Gods loue alone in Christ Iesus for their iustification. But alas, alas, they medi­tate not vpon this, and hence it is, that they stand so much vpon their owne worthines, that the righteousnes of Christ, is neither thought on, nor sought for, by them, as it should be.

Ʋse 4 Lastly, is Christ the alone Iustifier of the Church, and is his free grace, the ground of it? Advise to Be­leeuers, to be thankefull to their Iustifier. how thankefull then ought this to perswade Beleevers to be, and how carefull to sing such a Song as the Church here doth to the prayse of their Well-beloued. We vse to say, a Nosegay is worth thankes, e­specially, when it is giuen by a louer, as a token of loue; and is not this bundle, this bunch of Myrrhe, Christ his righteousnesse, worthy of praises, being giuen by him as a speciall token of his fauour, to poore, miserable, and sinfull creatures? Did the Luk. 17.16. tenth Leper, returne thankes for the cleansing of his body, and wilt not thou, whom Christ hath chosen as one out of ten, yea, of twentie, to purge thy soule, returne glory to his name? Mary Magdalen Luk. 7.47. loued Christ much, after He had forgiuen her much: Dauid resolu'd with himselfe, that, on condition the Lord according to the multitude of his mercies, would doe away his iniquities, and purge him with Hysop, which was an Embleme of his cleansing, and cloathing with Christs righteousnesse, his tongue should sing aloud of his righteousnesse Psal. 51.2.7.14. verses..

It is reported of Alexander, sirnamed, The Great, that he acknowledged himselfe to owe more to Aristotle his Master, then to Philip his Father, because, from his Master he recei­ued his Well being, whereas from his Father he had but his naturall being Pet. Mart. in lib. 1. Ethic. Arist. p. 5.. In like manner (I dare boldly say) thou that art a true Christian, owest more to Christ thy Master, yea, thy elder brother, for giuing thee through the merit of his owne righteousnesse, a spirituall being in grace, then to thy naturall Father or Mother, by whom thou hast thy be­ing in nature. Oh, therefore (owing so much) pay him much, I meane, loue him much, be much thankefull vnto [Page 58] him for this his kindnesse. Let thy thankefulnesse to him know no limits; set no bounds to thy obedience; let not much water quench the flame of thy loue, thy zeale; let not the very fire it selfe deterre thee, scare thee, from sacrifice, from his seruice. Propose the blessed Martyrs for thy pat­terne. The sweetnesse of this bundle haue so affected them, that rather then they would any way show themselues vn­gratefull, they haue not spared to be prodigall of their very liues. Take, oh take then, the cup of saluation, and blesse his holy name, vow seruice, vow obedience to him, vnto the very death; for his free mercy, in iustifying of thee, re­quires no lesse, deserues no lesse at thy hands. Leauing this, I come now to the next poynt; which is

That as Christ alone is the Iustifier of the Church, Doct. so the Church alone is iustified by Christ. The true Church alone is iustified by Christ. Iustification is a benefit belonging onely to the true members of the Church, and to none else. TO MEE, in my Text, implies as much; To me the Church alone, not to you daughters of Ierusalem, Except you be Eloct. not to you aliants and strangers to the Common-wealth of Isra­ell is my Beloued a bundle of Myrrhe, a bringer of righteousnesse. Aske Paul, whom he speakes of, when he saith; In grace HE (that is God) hath made VS accepted in the Beloued Ephe. 1.6.; (that is, iustified through Christ) and he will answere, that he mea­neth VS, who are chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the world; VS, who are predestinated to the adoption of children Verses 4.5.; intimating, none to be capable of iustification but such. The same thing, the same Apostle proueth in the eight of the Romanes; Whom he predestinated, them also he called, and whom he called, them also he iustified Rom. 8.30.. Now who are predestinated, who are the called of God, but the members of the Church? Vers. 3. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that iustifieth, that is, it is God that iustifieth the Elect Zanch. ad Eph. c. 2. p. 8. Tom. 5. i. e. Electosfolos.. Me­thinkes, that of S. Iohn in his Reuelation, is very fit for this purpose, where he saith, not that he saw the Apoc. 13.1. BEAST with sea­uen heades, and ten hornes (that is, the enemies of the Church, who vse their wit and authoritie against it) cloathed with the Sunne, that is, with Christs righteousnesse, but a Apoc. 12.1. WOMAN [Page 59] so cloathed, that is, the Church alone, or the company of the faithfull.

Reason. The reason is plaine, for faith which apprehendeth justi­fication by Christ, is a gift proper and peculiar to the Church, and none else, for which cause it is stiled, The faith of Gods ELECT Tit. 1.1.. Now if none haue faith but the Church, then it must needes follow, that none are iustified, but the members of the Church.

How full of terror is this truth, vnto all those that are out of the Church, I meane, not onely those who stand sunning themselues in the Church-yard, that sit swilling in Alehou­ses, fulfilling their fleshly pleasures, following their worldly profits, while the Word is Preaching, and people are pray­ing vpon the LORDS day. I meane (I say) not onely them, who are thus out of the materiall Temple, which is made of Bricke and Stone And yet I include them also, for right Christians dare not doe as they doe., but also all others, that are no true members of Christs mysticall body, who, though they heare the Word, receiue the Sacraments, &c. yet are voyde of sauing grace, are no spirituall stones of the spirituall buil­ding, no Cant. 1.17. Cedar beames in Gods house, that is, no For Cedar was vsed in cleansing, Levit. 14. Notes of the false Church: Propounded by the way, to shew whom this terror be­longs to. puri­fied, no sanctified ones in Gods familie. To all of them, to euery one of them, here is (I say) a ground of terrour. For (ah poore creatures) they are not iustified, they haue no share in, no benefit by, the righteousnesse of Christ. This bundle belongs not to them; It is peculiar to those whom they (for their Religions-sake) hate, scorne, and maligne. It appertaines not to those daughters of Ierusalem, spoken of in the fift verse of this Chapter, who seeme to be of the Church, who brag they are of the Israell of God, and yet are not. 1. Particular loue of false teaching and teachers. Thou therefore that delightest in false Doctrine, and castest the Word of God behind thy backe Ier. 8.9.; thou that with A­hab, hadst rather heare an hundred false Prophets, then one sound Michaiah 1 King. 22.; and with Ieroboam 1 Kin. 13.4., wilt not hearken to the faithfull messengers of the Lord of Hosts; 2. Neutrali­tie in religion. thou that with the same Ieroboam 1 Kin 12.28.29., art readie to change thy Religion, and manner of worship, instituted by God himselfe; 3. Defence and ripnes of sinne. thou that with the people in Ieremies time, wilt palliate and de­fend [Page 60] thy sinnes, professing thou walkest not after Balaim, when as yet the Lord sees thy abhomination in the Valley Ier. 2.23., be­ing pure in thine owne eyes, when as yet thou art not cleansed from thy wickednesse Prov. 30.12.; 4. Blasphe­my. thou that with the couetous, whom Dauid speakes of, Psal. 10.3. blessest thy selfe and blasphemest God, and with Goliah, 1 Sam. 17.9.10. cursest God and his people: 5. Contempt of authoritie. Thou that with the sonnes of Belial 1 Sam. 10.25, contemnest the powers that be ordained of God: 6. Vaine confidence. Thou that trustest with Goliah 1 Sam. 17.45., in thy sword and buckler; with the wicked of Dauids time, in the Psal. 49.6. Psal. 52.7. multitude of thy riches; with the Isa. 43.14. Chaldeans, in the treasures thy shippes bring in by Sea; with the old Israelites, in thy pleasant pic­tures Isa. 2.16., that is, in thy houshold furniture and riches So Scultet. ex­pounds plea­sant pictures.: 7. Hypocriti­calnes. Thou that canst the Art of dissembling, hauing Butter in thy mouth, and warre in thy heart Psal. 55.21.; that canst blesse with thy mouth, but curse with thy heart Psal. 62.4.: 8. Loue to & defence of bad company. Thou that louect the compa­ny of the vngodly Psal. 1.1.2., and magnifiest the wicked, which forsake the Law Pro. 28.4.: 9. Malice to the Saints. Thou that with the enemies of Gods Israel, treadest downe the inheritance of the Lord Isa. 63.18., circumventing them as the Sodomites did Lots house Gen. 19., spreading Net; for their feet Psal. 140., reioycing at their hurt Psal. 35.15., drawing out the sword, & bending the bow, that thou maiest suddenly hit them that are vpright in heart Psal. 37.14.32.: 10 Carnall securitie. Thou (finally) that art at ease in Sion, drowned in the depth of carnall securitie, thinking thou shalt neuer be re­moued Psal. 10.6.; who hast made a couenant with death, and art with hell at agreement, thinking that when the ouer flowing scourge shall passe through, it shall not touch thee, and so making lies thy refuge, and vnderfalshood hiding thy selfe Isa. 28.15.: Thou, I say, that carriest of all these, or any of these blacke brandes of the false Church, these non euidences of the true Church, heare thou this word of terror, thou art not iustified by the Lord Iesus and not to be iustified by him, desperate and fearefull must thy condition needes be: yea, so fearefull, that neither can my capacitie reach it, nor my tongue relate it. For be­sides the absence of those admirable soule rauishing effects, springing from iustification, which thou shalt reade off af­terwards Page. 67., it is an argument of Gods displeasure conceiued against thee, it doth prognosticate, wrath abiding for thee: [Page 61] insomuch, that if the Beloued of the Church, be not this bun­dle of Myrrhe, TO THEE, TO ME, and become our Righteousnesse, the stinch of our sinnes, will daily prouoke the Lord; the smell of our courses, will daily distast him; the sauour of our very Sacrifices, are a burthen vnto him: neither are our sinnes remitted, nor our sutes receiued, nor our persons respected, nor our good deedes rewarded, nor can our soules (if wee so continue) be eternally saued. Iudge thou then whither this poynt (as sweete as it is to the godly) doth not bring (if thou beest not altogether hope­lesse and helpelesse) a sound of terror to thy eares: and oh, that it might but be a meane to produce an holy trembling in thy soule, vpon the thought of thy great misery.

Ʋse 2 Secondly, this is not so terrible to the wicked, but it is as comfortable to the godly. Is it their peculiar to be iustifi­ed by Christ? Doe they alone participate of that righteous­nesse, which many thousands in the world, neither haue, nor are like to haue, any share in? What bountie, what loue is this from Christ to them? Myrrhe it selfe should not more refresh the smell, then the consideration of this accheere their soule. And accheere them it doth at sometime or other, let the Deuill doe his worst, as the next Doctrine shall de­clare, which without any longer delay, I come vnto: And this it is:

That as the Church alone is capable of Christs righteousnes, Doct. Christians a­lone haue the ioy of iustifi­cation. so shee onely is sensible of the sweetnesse of the same. Onely Be­leeuers doe truely reioyce in the assurance of free iustifica­tion by Christ. What saith Dauid to this purpose? The RIGHTEOVS shall be glad in the Lord, and all the VP­RIGHT in heart shall glory Psal. 64.10. What saith the Prophet E­say also? The RANSOMED of the Lord shall returne, and come to Sion with Songes, THEY shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse, and sorrow and sighing shall flie away Isa. 35.10.. Againe, My SERVANTS shall reioyce, my servants shall sing for ioy of heart. I create IERVSALEM a reioycing, and HER people a ioy Isa 65.14.15.18.. Of whom speakes the Church when she saith; We will be glad in the Lord, and reioyce in his saluation Isa 25.9.; I will [Page 62] greatly reioyce in the Lord, my soule shall be ioyfull in my God, for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation, he hath couered me with the robes of righteousnesse Isa. 61.10.. Of whom (I say) speakes the Church there, but of her selfe? I confesse that literally those speeches of the Prophet, are to be referred to the reioycing of the Iewes at their returne from captiuitie. But mystically they are to be interpreted, of the ioy which beleeuers alone conceiue vpon their returne from spirituall bondage, and vpon their iustification by the merits of Christ, and free mercy of the Almightie. Wherefore it was not without cause, that Christ sayd to the Man sicke of the Palsey; Sonne, be of good cheare, thy sinnes are forgiven thee Mat. 9.2.. And Elihu in Iob; He that can say, I haue found a Ransome (especially such as Christs righteousnesse hath procured) shall see Gods face with ioy Iob. 33.24. 6. compared [...]ogether..

Reas. 1 That which was the ground of the former poynt, may be the first ground of this also. Christians onely haue faith. Now faith is not onely an Hand, to plucke this Myrrhe, the meanes to apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ, that it may become ours; but also it is the Nostrills, to smell the sweetnesse of this Myrrhe: Looke as the nostrills doe con­uey sweete odours to the braine, to refresh the animall spi­rits, which are there, so doth faith conuey the assurance of iustification, to the rauishing, and delighting of the soule. If the Church alone then hath the nostrills of faith, no wonder is it, if shee alone be sensible of the sweetnesse of Christs righteousnesse.

Reas. 2 Secondly, Christ Iesus onely lodgeth and dwelleth in them, whom he hath iustified, but where Christ lodgeth, there must needes be great ioy. Nonne vide­is cum amicū lomi quispiam [...]ccipit quom [...]raese ferat [...]atitiam? &c. [...]hrys. in Iohan. [...]. 1. Hom. 19. Doe you not see if a man doth but receiue an ordinary friend into his house, how ioyfull he is? how much more joyfull then must wee con­ceiue them to be, who haue testimony in their consciences, that the Lord of glory hath come in by their gates, and ta­ken vp his lodging in their soules?

Vse 1 As the former, so this Doctrine also serues, 1. to lay open the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vnre­generate [Page 63] ones, who are no members of the true Church. For no sound ioy belongs vnto them. Their abundance of wealth, their places of honour, their great friends, their mer­ry companions, &c. may peradventure giue them some kind of contentment and delight, but alas, it is but for a moment, and Nam (que) mal [...] quanquam in­terdū gauder [...] videtur: Aesti [...] at ipse tamen medijs vt stro [...] gylos vndis. Marcell. Arie l. 1. p. 4. mingled many times with much heauinesse and sor­row; That joy which springs from Iustification is too sweet, too excellent for them to attaine to; There is no peace to the wicked, sayth my God Isa. 57.21. That, that (I say) is Sions peculiar. An vngodly man, may indeed heare the promises, haue the sweet Doctrine of iustification, by the free loue of Christ, sounded in his eares, and abuse the same he may (as those that make an idoll of Gods mercy) to further himselfe in his desperate disease of securitie, or a kinde of Mat. 13.20 hypocriticall ioy he may haue, which a temporall faith may afford him: but to draw out the right sweetnesse of this heauenly Doc­trine, to the true comfort of his soule, he wants nostrills, he hath no true iustifying and sauing faith. Let then an vn­regenerate person (be he what he will, or can be, for wit, learning, wealth, friends, dignitie, &c.) come and put forth that Question, which Ioram put forth to Iehu; Is it peace Iehu, is it peace? It may be answered him, as Iehu answered Ioram; What peace, so long as the Whoredomes of thy Mother Iezebell, and her witch-crafts are so many 2 Kin. 9.22. What peace so long as thy luxurious fruits, thy couetous fruits, extortions, oppressions, vsuries, deceitfull tricks, thy oathes, lyes, enuyings, backbitings, Sabboth breakings, neglects of Gods worship in the Temple, in the familie, in the closet, contempts of Gods seruants, and Ordinan­ces, contentments with thy meere ciuill courses, &c. are so ma­ny? What peace, I say, appertaines vnto thee, so long as these things remaine in thee, as so many testimonies against thee, that thou art not yet a true member of Christs Spouse the Church? Thou man, thou woman, art like those whom the Lord complaines of by the Prophet; Isa. 65.11. Yee are they that forsake the Lord, and forget mine holy Mountaine. Thou hast playd the Harlot, and runne away from Christ, and hast Vers. 12. chosen that wherein the Lord delighted not; And therefore [Page 64] must I conclude (to the terror of thee, and all such as thou art) with that sentence which the Lord denounceth by the same Prophet; Isa. 65.13.14. Behold, MY SERVANTS shall re­ioyce, but YE shall be ashamed. Behold, my servants shall sing for ioy of heart, but YE shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howle for vexation of spirit.

Vse 2 Againe, still we see comfort to flow out of this Text, to the people of God, by occasion of this point also. They may peraduenture haue heauie hearts, drouping spirits, and goe mourning all the day long, and by reason or outward crosses, or inward distresses, they may with Rachell refuse to be comforted, because their comforts are not, and in their owne apprehension, haue no being, no existence; but let them be of good cheere. The ioy that springeth from the roote of iustification, belonges vnto euery member of the Church; As sure as can be, light is sowen for the righteous, and ioy for all them that are of an vpright heart. As they haue this bundle of Myrrhe, this sweet-ball of Christ his righte­ousnesse, in free mercy bestowed vpon them, so the Lord in his due time, will open the nostrills of their faith, and make them sensible of the sweetnesse of the same, and the time shall come when in the sence and ioyfull perswasion of the same, they shall be able with all confidence and boldnes, to say, as the Church here doth; A bundle of Myrrhe is my Well-beloued vnto mee, now I know it, finde it, and feele it. Stay thy selfe with this then, thou mourner in Sion; and goe thy wayes, Eate thy bread with ioy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy Workes Eccles. 9.7.. Being a mem­ber of the Church, thou art acceptable to God in Christ Ie­sus, and being acceptable to him, He will reveale his com­fortable presence vnto thee, be thy distresse what it can be. And let this suffice thee against despayre, that though heaui­nesse may endure for a night, yet ioy shall come in the morning. Such ioy is thy portion, such ioy shalt thou get into thine owne possession, when God sees fit. Waite therefore for it on the God of thy saluation, and be not like a comfortles creature.

Vse 3 Thirdly, Hence we see how the world is deceiued, who thinke Christians to be melancholy persons, whom no mirth, no comfort, belongs to; imagining, that of all others, they are the saddest and heauiest creatures; What sayd I de­ceiued? yea, grossely deceiued. For there are none vnder heauen, haue more cause of ioy then they haue, nor are more sensible of true ioy then they are, when God comes to lift vp the light of his countenance vpon them. The ioy that the couetous man hath in his bags, the ambitious man in his honours, the voluptuous man in his pleasures, are but sorrow and vexation of spirit, in comparison of that sweete content, that a poore honest soule findeth in his Christ, in his Sauiour. How can his life be a melancholy life, that was condemned to death, but is now restored to life; that had lost heauen, but hath it now purchased for him; that was the heyre of damnation, but is now the heyre of saluation; that was naked, and abhominable in the eyes of God, but is now cloathed, and acceptable vnto him? How can this life (I say) be altogether vncapable of comfort, of consolation? If thou thinkest it is (when as Christians haue this priuiledge, to reioyce in the assurance of their iustification) thou thinkest amisse, and art in a grosse er­ror.

LET vs now passe on to the effect which the sence of, The second branch in the second part of the Text. and ioy from, this sweetnesse of iustification worketh, in the desires and vowes of the Church. And that is a con­tinuance of this benefit, in these words; He shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts: or (as some reade) It shall lodge all night betweene my breasts: or (as others) Optatiuely. Oh, that he would (that is, oh, that my Beloued) or, oh that IT may, (that is, this bundle of Myrrhe may) lodge all night betwixt my breasts. Howsoeuer the wordes be read, I take the mea­ning to stand thus; It is the resolution of mee the Church, that this sweet bundle shall, or, It is my heartie desire, that my belo­ued Christ, and the sweetnesse which I smell in his righteousnesse, may abide with me so long as I am in the might of this world.

The reason of the Para­phrase.For lodging, is a symbole of continuance, and breasts doe note out the will and affections, and so by consequent, the resolution and desire; and night, the world. Therefore by lodging all night betwixt the breasts, is meant, the abiding of Christ as a Iustifier, with the sweetnes of his righteousnesse, in the desires and resolution of a Christian, so long as he is in this world.

I could obserue from hence, thus much; That they, that are once iustified by Christ, are for euer iustified. Proue it I could out of Isa. 32.17. Hos. 2. towardes the latter end. Rom. 11.29. And by occasion of this, I could tell the doub­ting and perplexed soule, to its singular consolation, that though it be in the night of tribulation, and temptation in this world, yet Christ Iesus will neuer forsake it, but will pernoctare, lodge with it all night, nothing shall seperate it from the loue of God in Christ Iesus. But there is another maine thing I driue at; and this it is.

This was Dauids resolution; I will reioyce and be glad in thy mercie Psal. 31.7.. Marke, he contents not himselfe to speake in the time present, I DOE reioyce, but he speakes in the Future tense, I WILL reioyce, shewing what his minde and pur­pose was. This was also the DESIRE of that holy man; Psal. 24.7. One thing haue I DESIRED of the Lord, that I will seeke after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the dayes of my life, to behold the beautie of the Lord. And euer and anon, you shall finde that Prophet, crying; Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon mee, and then I shall be safe, that is, then I shall haue what I would haue Psal. 4.. Restore vnto mee the ioy of thy salvation Psal. 51., that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce V.. Hence it is, that the ioy of Gods people, is called an euerlasting ioy Isa. 61.7.. The complaints of Christians, in the [Page 67] time of spirituall desertion, doe euidently show this. For looke as Iob in the time of his adversitie, did bewayle the losse of his former prosperitie, in these termes; Iob. 29.2.3.6. Oh, that I were as in moneths past, as in the dayes when God preserued me: when his candle shined vpon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkenesse. When I washed my steps in butter, and the rockes poured ryvers of Oyle. So complaine Beleeuers, when they are insensible of those inward comforts, and sweete internall ioyes they were wont to haue; Oh, that it were with me as in times past, as in the dayes when God refreshed mee, when the candle of his bright countenance shined vpon mee, when by the light of his sweet comforts, I did walke ioyfully through the darkest temptations: Oh, that it were with me as it was when the rocke, Christ Iesus, poured out rivers of ioy vnto mee, to accheere me in the assurance of iustification by his owne blood. Now what doth this kinde of complaint intimate vn­to vs, but that the Church is desirous to retaine that ioy which ariseth from the assurance which shee hath of sharing in the righteousnesse of Christ.

Reason. Neither need wee marvaile at it, for why, this sweetnesse, this ioy, which springes from this roote, is one of the most infallible testimonies of the loue of Christ; but choyce loue-tokens (as wee know) are most desiredly kept and re­tained. Let a Wooer bestow vpon his Loue, but a Nosegay or Muske-ball, as a testimony of his loue; and (if shee takes it so) whatsoeuer shee be carelesse of els, shee will be very carefull to keepe that, and still be desiring to recreate her selfe with the sweetnesse of that. Inasmuch therefore as ioy in the holy Ghost, is a speciall token of the Church her be­loueds good will vnto her, shee must needs be carefull to keepe that (except shee be very much out of tune) and still haue that bundle betweene her breasts, in the very night time, that is, that sweetnes in her desires, euen in the dee­pest, and darkest affections.

Ʋse 1 First of all, doe Christians desire to keepe that ioy which the assurance of their free iustification by Christ doth effect in them? then this showes, that sound and solid ioy, is per­manent, [Page 68] and durable. It is not flitting, like the ioy of the worldling; it is not vanishing, like the ioy of the hypocrite; it is not perishing, like the ioy of the Epicure. In Gods presence is fulnesse of ioy, and at his right hand (saith Dauid in a Prophe­ticall strayne of Christ) are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16.. Now if in His GLORIOVS presence, there be fulnesse of ioy, and e­uerlasting pleasures; then the ioyes of his gracious presence must needs be durable also, being the tast and beginning of the glorious. I deny not, but that there is a mixture of sorrowes with their ioyes, because it is fit, and needfull, that so it should be; yet this doth not nullifie the perpetuitie of them, because it doth not anibilate the essence of them. Though Christians haue not alwayes a feeling of them, yet they haue alwayes the being of them. Myrrhe, betweene a mans breasts, hath a sweetnes in the night time, though whiles he sleepes, he smells it not: So, assurance of iustification is in the be­leeuers heart, and the sweetnesse of it in his soule, though while he slippes into sinne, and is in some sleepie fits of car­nall securitie, he be not sensible of the same. To thinke then that the ioy of Gods people, is a fading or transitorie ioy, is a groundles conceite, and a wrong done the honour of Gods mercy, which is the fountaine of it. For what God giues his children an hearty desire continually to keepe, that will HE keepe continually for them.

Vse 2 Secondly, this is of vse, to exhort and stirre vp all them that want this ioy, Exhortation to vnbeleeuers to get this ioy. to seeke after it, and to endeuour to at­taine it. Such earthly things as are most permanent in their owne kinde, are most desired by them that enioy them, euery one will labour after them. This ioy is euer durable: They that haue this ioy, doe resolue and desire euer to keepe it. Labour therefore, oh, labour (I say) with might and mayne to get it, you that want it. And to helpe you hereto, you must not thinke, that it can be gotten for gold, or that siluer shall be weighed for the price thereof Iob. 28.15. Helpes to true ioy.. But by these meanes.

1 First, by a godly sorrow for sinne. Mary Magdalene was fayne to stand behinde Christ weeping, and to wash his feete [Page 69] with her teares, before he had her Goe in peace Luk. 7.38.50.. Peters con­verts were pricked in their hearts, before they could eate their meate with gladnes Act. 2.37.46.. The laylor trembled before he reioyced Act. 16.26.. They are the blessed ones which mourne, that shalbe comforted Math. 5.4.. Let not them thinke euer to come to this ioy, who driue out of their owne hearts, all consideration of their owne sinnes, which they haue committed; of Gods iudgements, which they haue deserued; of Gods iustice, which is prouoked; of Gods ma­iestie, which is offended; that their hearts may feele no smart, their soules may be affected with no sorrow, for their trans­gressions. For if euer thou hast read the Psalmes of Dauid through, thou hast found this to be true, that they which sow in teares, shall reape in ioy Psal. 30.6.. Oh, you hard-hearted, and impenitent ones then, who could neuer yet mourn for your sinnes, heare what Saint Iames saith, and be advised by him. Be afflicted, mourne, and weepe, let your laughter be turned in­to mourning, and your vaine ioy into heauinesse Iam. 4.9.: that so mour­ning, you may be comforted, and (as they, who after they haue endured many a sore tempest by Sea, come to Arabia, where Myrrhe growes, get it, gather it, and smell on it) so you, after your soules haue beene truely humbled within you, may apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ, and be spiritually rauished with the sweetnesse of it, in such wise, that you may both resolue, and desire, neuer to let it goe.

2. Helpe to get true ioy.Secondly, Get a good conscience; for that (as Salomon saith) is a continuall feast. Pro. 15.15.. Well spake an Ancient Aug. ad Fr. in Erem Ser. 10. Ad spirituale gaudium hodi­erno die in­tendo, &c. to this purpose; I intend, brethren, this day to inuite you to a feast of spirituall ioy, which ioy neither the plentie of riches, nor the glory of the world, nor greatnesse of posteritie, nor health of body procu­reth, but onely puritie of conscience. And no marvaile; for if an euill conscience begets a timorous and trembling heart Mala consci­entia cor tabes­cens, & trepi­dans gignit, Muscut. in Psal. 18 p. 182. then a good conscience must needes produce a ioyfull and merrie heart. Now how to get a good conscience, I direct else-where Court of conscience. pag. 50.51. &c..

3. Helpe to true ioy.Lastly, because worldlinesse is a great enemie to this ioy, therefore take heed and beware of couetousnesse Luk. 12.15.. Stop thy no­strills [Page 70] full of earth, and the sweetest Odours cannot affect the smell; So, let a man heare the sweetest Doctrines of the Gospell, euen of free iustification by Christ, &c. he can smell no sweetnesse in them, he can feele no comfort by them, if his heart be stuffed, and inordinately affected with the things of this life. As therefore thou wouldest reioyce in the assurance of Gods loue, make not the world thy God to loue.

Vse 3 Lastly. Doth the Church here giue an example to all her sonnes and daughters, in resoluing that this sweetnesse shall, in desiring that this sweetnesse may, abide in her conti­nually? Then this should teach all those members of the Church, who haue tasted of the ioy of Gods saluation, to endeuour to keepe and maintaine the same. The desires of a good Mother, in good things (especially seconded with care and industry) must be the patterne of the Childrens endeuours. If our Mother the Church hath desired, and endeuoured in ALL ages to keepe this ioy; then WEE, (members of her bodie) in this age, must be carefull not to come behinde her in such desires and endeuours. With how holy a vehemency doth Paul enforce this vpon the Church her children, both at Philippi, and Thessalonica; Reioyce in the Lord alway, againe, I say reioyce Phil. 4.4.. Reioyce euer­more 1 Thes. 5.16.. In this ioy as a man cannot be too excessiue Pet. Mart. Eth. l. 1. p. 100. [...]aec iocunditas [...]itiosum ex­ [...]essumpati non [...]otest., for the measure, so he cannot be too long, for the time.

Our Sauiour tells his Disciples, that he would haue His ioy REMAINE in them Ioh. 15.11.. Say therefore of this thy ioy (thou Christian soule) as Iob of his innocencie; I will not let it goe vntill death.

Now that thou mayest haue some directions in this case, these Rules will be vsefull for thee.

How to keepe spirituall ioy. 1. Rule.First, maintaine thy ioy in the Word, let that be the very ioy and reioycing of thy heart. Let neither the pleasures of the flesh, nor the profits of the world, nor the companie nor counsell of carnall friends, make thee giue ouer thy private reading, studie, and meditation, in that. Let neither the foulnes, nor coldnesse of the weather, nor the length of [Page 71] the way, nor the shortnes of the dayes, coole thy forward­nesse, or quayle thy diligence in the hearing of that. I am perswaded, that Dauid did so much reioyce in the favour of God, because he did so much delight in the Word of GOD. So much he seemes to testifie in that 27. Psalme. vers. 4. I de­sire to dwell in the house of the Lord all my dayes, that I may be­hold the beautie of the Lord; As if these words were (after a sort) spoken of purpose, to show, that if wee continue our delight in Gods Temple, wee shall continue our sight of Gods beautie, shining vpon vs continually to refresh vs. In the Word, wee shall meete with such sweete sentences, such gracious promises, as will strengthen our ioy, as will rayse vs vp out of our heauie and disconsolate fits, as will shew Christ vnto vs, as will reveale the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God vnto vs. Experience in the Church of Christ, proues, that many a man and woman, hath gone with a trembling spirit, with a perplexed conscience (because their ioyes were not as they were wont to be) to the hearing of many a Sermon, about the reading of many a Chapter in the Bible, or of some other sweete passages in good Bookes; and they haue met with that consolation, that satisfaction, that they would not for any thing haue missed off. Let but thy de­light then in the Word of God abate, and I dare boldly tell thee, thou shalt finde as much to doe to maintaine thy ioy in thy iustification, as he, to continue the refreshing of his brayne with sweete flowers, that cares not to come into those Gardens where they grow, or, that, hauing gathe­red them alreadie, stops them in some corner farre from his nostrills. Be sure therefore still to reioyce in the garden of the Scriptures, and be still plucking and sucking the sweetnesse of them, by private studie, and publique hea­ring.

Againe, a serious and frequent Meditation, vpon the ex­cellence of the benefit of free iustification by Christ, 2. Rule. To keepe spirituall ioy. is a se­cond help for a CHRISTIAN to maintaine his spirituall ioy. The deeper a man diues into the nature of a thing, the more knowledge shall a man haue of the value of that [Page 72] thing, and sutable to his sight of the worth of it, will his de­light in it be. The more sweete flowers are rubbed, the more fragrant Odour is extracted from them; yea, though these flowers seeme somewhat dead, yet by rubbing, the smell of them is revived; So, could but our faith euer and anon, be rubbing out by divine Meditation, the marrow and spirits (as it were) of this bundle of Myrrhe, of this priuiledge, of partaking freely in the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus, it is admirable to thinke what abundance of sweetnesse, wee shall draw out of the same, to the continuall accheering and re­freshing of our soules.

Quest. Yea, but how must I by Meditation rubbe out this sweet­nesse?

Answ. I answere, thou must make, the effects of Iustification, the Obiect, How by me­ditation to pull sweetnes out of Iustifi­cation, viz. by meditating on the effect of Iustification. 1. Effect. of these thy Meditations.

First of all therefore thinke oft with thy selfe, what an excellent thing it is, of an enemie of God, to be made a friend of God; of one that Once wert at oddes with him, to be set at one with him: but by vertue of the righteousnesse of Christ, thou art at one with God, as the Apostle speaketh; Being iustified by faith, wee haue peace with God, through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1..

2. Effect.Secondly, meditate what a rare thing it is, that, whereas thou wert once tyed to a most strict obedience to the Law of God (euen in thine owne person) insomuch that for thy fayling in the least tittle of that obedience, then shouldest haue smarted for it for euer, now thou art freed from that rigour, Christ hath per­formed that perfect obedience for thee, and that Evangelicall o­bedience, which now thou performest (being sincerely respec­tiue to all the Commandements) is acceptable through Christ Iesus. But this also is an effect of justification, as the same Apostle testifieth, when he saith; When the fulnesse of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made vnder the Law, to redeeme them that were vnder the Law Gal. 4.4.. That is, [Page 73] they that haue share in Christ, and his righteousnesse, they are redeemed from the rigour of the Law.

Thirdly, thinke with thy selfe, what an excellent benefit it is to be freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. [...]3., to be redeemed from condemnation, and from the wrath that is to come. But this benefit belongs to them that are iustified. Being now iustified by his blood, wee shall be saued from wrath through Him Rom. 5.9..

Fourthly, Meditate how great a priviledge it is to be freed from the sting of a tormenting conscience, which once thou didst vnder goe; What a libertie thou hast now euer what thou hadst then, when the Arrowes of the Almightie did drinke vp thy spi­rit; and a restlesse, terrified, soule was within thee; and what great oddes there is betwixt thine estate now, and thy case then. But this freedome from terrors of conscience, comes from iustification, as the Prophet Isaiah signifieth in the 41. Chap­ter of his Prophecie, the latter part of the tenth verse, being compared with the first part of the foureteenth, where Ia­cob, who is vpheld with the right hand of Gods righteousnesse, is wished (by the Lord) not to feare, nor be terrified; as giuing vs to vnderstand, that terrors of conscience doe not belong That is, as they did to Cain, and doe to Reprobates to driue them to despera­tion. to them that are iustified. And in another place of that Booke, they that are trees of righteousnesse, of the planting of the Lord. Isa. 61.3., or that are the righteous people Isa. 60.21., are promised to haue (by Christ their Iustifier) their broken hearts bound vp, to haue beautie instead of ashes, the oyle of ioy in stead of mour­ning, and the garment of gladnesse instead of the garment of hea­uinesse. Isa. 61.1.3..

Fiftly, Meditate what a singular prerogatiue it is to haue hope in death, and that, whereas they that teare and weare out their dayes in sinne are like to die, either ragingly and disconlo­l [...]tely, as, Saul, Iudas, and Iulian did; or else blockishly, like a stone, as Naball did; thou shalt die quietly, goe to thy graue in [Page 74] peace, and although it should be thy portion, to haue sharpe en­counters with the Tempter, yet that thou shalt haue victorie, and confidence in the greatest extremitie. But this springeth also from iustification, as the Wise-man speaketh; The righte­ous (or the iustified man) hath hope in death Pro. 14.32..

Sixtly, Thinke oft what a priviledge it is to haue com­fort in the middest of afflictions, and that, whereas outward troubles and crosses, are tokens of Gods wrath and displeasure to the wicked, they are signes of his loue and favour towardes thee. But this also thou hast by the righteousnesse of Christ. Being iustified by faith (saith Paul) wee glory in tribulations, know­ing that tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, expe­rience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost, which is giuen vs Rom. 5.1.3.4.5..

Lastly, consider seriously, what an inestimable blessing it is to haue euerlasting blisse in the life to come; And, that, (whereas Reprobates shall haue that fearefull sentence, denoun­ced against them, Goe yee cursed, &c.) thou art like to heare that sweet voice, speaking to thee; Come thou blessed, inherit the kingdome prepared for thee from the beginning of the world. But this is another fruit of sharing in the righteousnesse of Christ, if S ^t Paul may be beleeued; Whom he hath iustified, them also hath He glorified Rom. 8.30.; That as sinne hath raigned vnto death, euen so might grace raigne through RIGHTEOVS­NES vnto ETERNALL LIFE, by Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 5.21..

Meditate vpon these things, thou man or woman great­ly beloued Dan. 10.11.19.. I tell thee Christian, for want of this meditati­on, thou art much thine owne enemie. Thou spendest many a day vncheerefully, many an houre vncomfortably, because thou doest not so search into the worth of this bun­dle of Myrrhe, by such Meditations as thou shouldest. Can the often ruminating on this, that, (by vertue of [Page 75] Christs righteousnesse) thou art at peace with God, freed from the rigour of the Law, redeemed from the curse of the Law, quiet, truely quiet in thy Conscience, that thou hast right to com­fort in afflictions, to hope in death, to perfection of blessednesse at the day of iudgement; Can (I say) can this chuse, but pre­serue in thee, that spirituall ioy the Lord hath implanted in thy soule? Giue heed therefore, giue heed to these privi­ledges, and againe and againe thinke vpon them. So much for the second Rule.

Thirdly, A Christian shall preserue his ioy, 3. Helpe to preserue ioy. by preser­uing his faith. Faith is the nostrill of the soule (as I told you) which sendeth this ioy to the heart, from the appre­hension of Christs righteousnesse, looke therefore how that is enfeebled, so will the ioy be extenuated. They, A Similie. that would haue sweet smells haue free passage to the braine, to refresh the animall spirits that be there, must haue a care to pre­uent Vlcers from breeding in the nostrills, by drying and strengthening the head, that no superfluities (which are the cause of such Vlcers) flow out of the head into the no­strills. So thou that wouldest haue the sweetnesse of this Myrrhe, the ioy of iustification to haue passage by the no­strills of faith alwayes to thy soule; Keepe thy heart with all diligence, watch, and obserue that, that the excrements and su­perfluities of vnbeliefe, doubtings, distrust in Gods prouidence, fleshly ease, giuing way to the loue of earthly things, like so ma­ny Vlcers, may not breed in thy faith, and breath our such an vnkinde and stinking Odour, as may stop the passage of those comforts to thy soule, with which once thou wert wont to be refreshed.

Fourthly, Take heed of sinne against conscience. 4. Helpe. The getting of a good conscience, is (as hath beene shewed) a meanes to come by ioy. And the keeping of a good conscience is a meanes to conserue ioy: How did Dauid eclipse his ioy, and Peter his, when as the one defiled himselfe by adulterie and murther, and the other denyed his Lord and Master, both against the light of their owne consciences.

And wherefore is it, that some Christians, who were once wont to reioyce in the sauing health of the God of Iacob, come to be plunged into deepe fits of distresse, our of which they cannot so soone, and easily recouer themselues, but be­cause they are somewhat more bold with their consciences then it is fit, on lawfull. If thou wouldest walke then conti­nually with the white garments of gladnesse vpon thy soule, beware thou doe not wound thy soule, by giuing way to any sinne, but endeuour to keepe a cleere conscience before God, and towardes men, holding (as the Apostle adviseth) the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9..

5. Helpe.To conclude all. In the last place, because a worldly, and carnall ioy, is a great enemie to the spirituall, and sith it is as impossible for a man to reioyce (as worldlings doe) in the world, and the Lord, as to serue two Masters Aug de verb. Dom. Ser. 37. Sicut non potest homo duobus dominis serui­re, sic & nemo in hoc seculo potest gaudere et in Domino.: therefore take heed of a carnall and worldly ioy. A caution. Not that I would haue a Christian, not take comfort in the outward blessings that God hath lent him; For, as he hath best right vnto them, so he hath most cause to take some comfort, in them: And not to doe so, Salomon calls a vanitie vnder the Sunne Eccles. 5. But not onely to reioyce in impietie against God, in iniquitie against man (as profane ones doe) but also to reioyce in the outward good blessings of God excessiuely or carnally, is that which I advise euery beleeuer to beware of. If a man should mingle a bunch of Wormewood with a bundle of Myrrhe, you cannot make me beleeue, there will be so sweet a smell, as the Myrrhe alone would yeeld; Euen so, he that admits any transitorie, and worldly thing, at any time, as an equall Obiect of his ioy, with this transcendent treasure of justification, let him tell mee (be he neuer so deare in the eyes of God) whither he depriues not his soule (for the present) of that abundance of comfort, which once the thought of his discharge by Christ, did conuey vnto him. When therefore thou art to solace thy selfe with the vse of the creatures, let thy ioy know a measure, least the [Page 77] vnmeasurablenesse of thy worldly ioy, lessen the measure of thy spirituall ioy, which this Bundle of Myrrhe, the righteousnesse of CHRIST IESVS is the ground of.

These are the Rules by which thou mayest obtaine thy ioy in justification. Thinke on them, make vse of them. And heauens-bles­sing make them beneficiall vnto thy soule.

AMEN.

LAVS DEO.