2 Peter 1:8

OVr Apostle hath led us from vertue to vertue, as one directs a traveller from rowne to towne, till he comes to the desired Citie, Psal. 84.7. They goe on from strength to strength, till every one of them appeareth before God in Sion. H hath shewed us a golden chaine, the first linke whereof is Faith, and the last is Charitie. Now we say that we have them all: have you? then know that If they be in you, and abound, they shall keepe you from unfruitfulnesse in your profession. To prove Sanctimonium cordis, being Testimonium operis: let your outward life witnesse your inward grace.

Me thinks, I find in this verse three mysticall members of a Christian: his Heart, his Hand, and his Head. 1. If these things be in you and abound; there is his Heart. 2. They make you that yee shall not be barren nor unfruitfull: there is his Hand. 3. In the knowledge of our Lord IESUS CHRIST: there is his Head. His Head conceives CHRIST, his Heart containes CHRIST, his Hand brings forth CHRIST. 1. His Head, like Mary, coneeives the knowledge of devotion; being illuminated by the Holy Ghost. 2. His Heart travells in birth of it, growing in grace, and growing in spirit, till he be delivered. 3. His Hand, that is his life; like a mid-wife, helpes him to bring forth that blessed issue. His Head is enlightned, his Heart is enlarged, his Hand is enlivened.

If these things be in you and abound. I will not Martyr the Text, but begin as the Apostle begins, with the Heart. Wherein I coneeive foure particulars; the seed, the ground, the sowing, and the growing. 1. The seed, ταῦτα, these things. 2. The ground, ἐν ὑμῖν, In you. 3. The sowing, which makes them ὑπάρχοντα, to Be in you. 4. The growing, καὶ πλεονάζοντα: so in you that they abound and thrive. First, for the seed, and herein observe two things.

First, we make choise of our seed, and allow it good; or else expect no good harvest. He that sowes cockle, lookes not for wheate: of tares cast into the ground, we think it impossible to find barly. Gal. 6.7. Whatsoever a man sowes, that shall he also reape. Who can wonder to see him reape a curse, that hath sowen a curse! Thus it often commeth to passe, that the matter of sinne is read in the punishment; as the croppe is a remonstrance of the seed. Doth Adam sow the seed of ambition, aspiring above a man? he is brought so low as to be beholding to the beasts for apparell; there’s the croppe. Caine would not offer Abel a reasting place on earth, therefore the earth shall allow him none. Rehoboam would make his finger heavier than his fathers loynes: therefore his loynes shall be made lighter than his fathers finger. Samuel hewing Agag in peeces, shewed him the harvest of his owne seed: 1 Sam. 15.33. As thy sword hath made woman chidlesse, so shall thy mother be childlesse among women. If Gehasi will take Naamans iniquity he shall take Naamans leprosie, King. 22.38. The dogges licked up Ahabs bloud; why? Ahab had so served Nabaoth, Hos. 4.12. You have gone a whoring from your God; therefore, Ver. 13. Your daughters shall commit whoredome, and your spouses adulterie. Ier. 5.19. When they shall say, wherefore doth the Lord these things unto us? they shall be answered; as in their owne land they did worship deos non suos, strange Gods: so they shall worship their owne God in terra non sua, in a strange land. Whosoever sowes evill seeds, either in Quali or in Quanto shall reape evill fruites.

Therefore the seed must be these things: let us sow holinesse of life, that wee may reape the life of holinesse. It is Gods mercie that every sinne is not Benoni, the death of the mother; that the seed of lust does not burne up the ground: that earthinesse does not like a grave bury the soule: drunkennesse like a deluge, drowne the spirits; and Epicurisme like an infected aire, choake the vitall breath. It is a wonder that the very element of Gods fight not against him, whose sinnes fight against the maker of elements. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 15. that wee must all die, and all rise againe: and compares us to seed sowen in the spring that is reaped in the harvest. If therefore thou wouldestf reape a glorious body, sow a gracious body. These things.

Secondly, we must have These, All these; not one or two but all. It is not enough to have faith, and leave out vertue; not knowledge without temperance, nor pietie without charitie. If thy journey be eight miles, and thou give over at the second or third; thou wilt fall short of heaven. Many will be contented with some, but few will embrace all. Men deale with God, as for their Tythes, so for their lives, Gal. 6.6. Let him that is taught communicate to his Teacher, in all his goods. Ἐν πᾶσιν? In all? nay put out (In omnibus) this In all, and we will compound with you, Deut. 5.33. You shall walke in all the waies of the Lord. In all? nay put out this same (All) and we will consent to you. There are few that say; Iosh. 1.16. All that thou commandest us, we will doe. Vende omnia, Sell all thou hast, and give to the poore; this the world thinkes most unreasonable. He that hath not all saving graces in some measure, hath none in any measure. The Romists are so slaved to their superiours, that they will doe all they are commanded by them. As a desperate Roman said of Catiline; whatsoever he bids me, I will doe. But saies another, how if he should bid thee fire the Capitol? he answers, Catiline will not bid it; but if he should, I will doe it. So they must doe all the Pope chargeth them: but how if he bids them fire the Senate, blow up the Parliament? they secretly reply, he will not command it; but if he should we will doe it. They give not this obedience to God: he chargeth them not to touch his anointed ones; against this they have their exceptives. But against the Popes mandamus, there is no question, no exception, and from it lies no appeale. How insatiable mans desires are of this world! give Alexander kingdome after kingdome, he will not rest till he have all. If a covetous man had all the houses; if a Citie given him, hee would rifle for the goods in them: if hee had all the Gold and Iewells, hee would also require the garments: if hee had the Citie, hee would also challenge the suburbes: yea, All could not satisfie him. But how little grace contents us; one or two, as Ioash stroke the earth but thrice. 2 King. 13.18. wee take insatiably of earth, very moderately of heaven; as if we were afraid to have too much grace, and that it would but trouble us.

In you. Wee see the qualitie of the seed, now let us consider the nature of the ground. Mans heart is the ground for Gods seed: holy seed requires holy ground. This seed is cast in by the eare: August. for Nisi prius Deus fuerit in aure, non erit in ore, non in corde: unlesse God first come in by the eare, he will not be in the mouth, nor in the heart. But if it stay in the eare, and goe no further, it will not fructifie, Math. 13. The eare is like a pipe, made to convey water, not to containe it. The heart is that home where it should dwell: as Mary laid up CHRISTS sayings in her heart. But as corde mobili nihil mobilius: so corde nobili nihil nobilius: an inconstant heart is the basest of things, a faithfull heart the noblest. Every heart is not fit ground for this seed: therefore (seeing I am falne upon the metaphore) be pleased to consider how this ground is prepared: and to speake in the phrase of husbandrie; it must be fallowed, stirred, and laid up, before it be sowed.

It must be fallowed: the word preached is the plough to breake it up. It is broken up by the Law, sowed by the Gospell: break it up by Moses; sow it by IESUS. There is by nature growne over every heart a thicke and hard crust: the menace of judgements must breake this rough and tough mould. To this purpose, there is an Information by doctrine, and a reformation by discipline. There are some tender hearted; as David was snibb’d with a word, Peter with a looke. Some are quickly corrected; soft hearted children that weepe at the least chiding. Others are harder, like nettles; if you touch them gently, they will sting you. Therefore if the golden scepter cannot winne them; the yron scepter must breake them. But as we plough upon the fallowes, so we must cautelously take heed of plowing where the harrow hath gone before, so faith the Prophet; Breake up the fallow ground; the unbroken heart: but spare the already broken spirit. In you, in your selves: some can plow furrowes on others backes: so doe persecuters on the Church. Psal. 129 3. The plowers plowed upon my backe: they made long their furrowes. The slanderers harrow mens good names, Psal. 50.20. They sit and speake against their brethren, and slander their owne mothers sonnes. Vsurers harrow the estates of the poore; yea harrow and grind their very faces. Arrant and arrogant hypocrites harrow and furrow their neighbours simplicitie: but the Pharisie is no fit husband-man to plow up the Publican. But plow thy selfe, find some corner of thy heart to breake up still. Satan is founderd, and cannot walke upon rugged ground. The fallowed or or broken heart hee cannot abide; but God respects it. Psal. 51.17. A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

It must be stirred. Our backwardnesse requires continuall provocations. To bee good is a thing hardly gotten, quickly forgotten. The art of bringing mens hearts to God, hath many passages, takes many courses, tries many experiments: as indeed there are many sorts of servants. A Land-lord had summoned his tenants to doe him some service: yet being done, and they all present, the steward demands, which of them came for love, and which for mony. They that came gratis for love, were feasted in the Parlar, they that came for reward had courser fare in the Hall. One amongst the rest would chuse neither of these places, but walkes by himselfe. The steward asked him his motive of comming, whether, for love or mony; that his placce might be assigned accordingly. He replied; I come for neither love nor money, but for plaine feare, and therefore I chuse a place by my selfe. Thus some approch to God for reward, as Saul loved him for his kingdome. Some for love, as Mary that brought CHRIST a precious unction because she loved. him. Others for feare, Ahab was humbled under feare of the vengeance. Now all our endeavour is to plant in mens hearts the love of God; that they might say with Peter; Lord thou knowest that I love thee. But this is effected, sometimes by promise of reward, that they may be led by profit, Esa. 1.19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eate the good of the Land, Rom. 2.20. There is glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good. Sometimes by threatnings, that they may be wonne by feare, Rom. 2.9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soule that doth evill, Hebr. 12.29. Our God is a consuming fire. Now though perfect love cast out servile feare; as Saint Iohn speaketh: yet filiall feare brings in perfect love, There is mercie with thee O Lord, that thou mayest be feared. It hath beene said of base feare; Degeneres animos timor arguit; that it is an argument of a base and cowardly spirit. But of this feare it is true; Regeneres animos timor arguit; that it is the argument of a regenerate and gracious spirit. He never loved God, that feares him not. With some of these the heart must be continually stirred.

It must be layed up, that is the husband-mans next course. Now the heart is laied up by faith: when a man beleeves, he is then fitted to receive any seed of goodnesse. As the Eunuch said; Act. 8.36. I beleeve, what hinders me to be baptised? So I beleeve, what hinders me to be loved, what hinders me to be blessed, what hinders mee to bee saved? Not; be it to thee according to thy faith. Humilitie, patience, charitie, are now sowen with fortunate successe: faith hath layed up the heart, Cor paratum, saies David: speake Lord, for my eare is open; sow Lord, for my heart is ready. Paratum ad prospera; ad adversa, ad diversa, ad universa. If adversitie comes, sow any heart with patience: if thou take back the goods which thou once gavest me, sow it with contentednesse: if prosperitie comes, sow it with thankefulnesse: if sinne, sow it with penitence: against Satans temptings, sow it with pietie: against all malicious courses, sow it with charitie. As waxe to receive the impression of a seale, so the heart is softned and tempered to receive the Image of GOD. Blessed is the ground, which the Lord hath enclosed for his owne garden.

Be in you: this is the sowing; GOD must first prepare the ground, and then sow his seed in it. It is he that unlockes the heart, to entertaine these graces. There are sixe keyes whereby things are opened or shut, that GOD hath intrusted into the hands of no other, Angell or Seraphin. The key of raine, Deut. 28.12. The Lord opens the heaven to give raine to the Land in his season. The key of food, Psal. 104.28. Thou openest thy hand, and they are filled with good. The key of the wombe, Psal. 113.9. Hee maketh the barren woman to bee a joyfull mother of children. The key of the Grave, Revel. 1.18. I have the keys of hell and of death. The key of the mouth, Psal. 51.15. O Lord open thou my lips. The key of the heart, Act. 16.14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia. In all these Rev. 3.7. he openeth, and no man shutteth: he shutteth, and no man openeth. Now when hee hath thus opened and prepared the heart, he sowes in it this spirituall seed. Graces like good herbes, will not grow of themselves: vices like weeds, need no sowing. Man is no more borne with vertues in his soule than with apparell on his backe. It is not generation, but regeneration that sowes this seed. The seed is good, the sower is God, Gal. 5.22. Indeed there bee ministeriall deputies; so Paul plants, and Apollo waters, but still God gives the encrease. This takes away from our best workes all possibilitie of merit. A meritorious worke must be Ex proprio, and Ex indebito. First, it must be our owne: but every good gift is from the Father of lights, Iam. 1. Omne bonum nostrum, vel ipse, vel ab ipso. Secondly, it must be beyond our dutie and debt: but alas, having done our best, we are unprofitable servants. Heaven is indeed often called a Reward; not factive, but pactive; of covenant, not of merite: God gives it us, not because we have earned it, but because he hath promised it. Iustitia nec vestra, nec vera: woe to us if we had no more comfort than we deserve, Matth. 20. The last received, as the first, every man a peny. Not because they wrought harder, that came in later: as Paul that came in after the rest, yet abounded in labours above them all. But to shew that God respects not Quantum but ex quanto; the love, more than the worke. And that the reward is not of merite, but of mercie: for if it were of merite, he should have begun at the first: if it be of mercie, he may begin where he will. Thus he gives all grace to us, that we may give all glory to him.

In you, not about you, not on you, but in you. Not behind you, as Libertines that cast Gods lawes behind their backes. Psal. 50.16. They runne so fast to the Samaria of riot, that they leave Ierusalem behind them. As CHRIST said to Peter, get thee behind me: so these to goodnesse, keepe behind me, I love not to see thy face. Not before you, as worldlings that send religion afore them to threescore, but never overtake it. It keepes before them indeed, but the length of Gracious-streete; and they like Salomons foole never come neerer it than the Stockes. Moses saw Canaan before him, and desired it: these see it, and desire it not; they like the world better. Not about you; as profane persons in holy places; inter sanctos non sanctè; live in the midst of vertues without vertue. That proverbe is too often justified; neerer to Church, further from God. It seemes to be taken from the Iewes; who having the greatest light, had the darkest life: the neerer they were to the Sanctuary, the further from sanctitie. Such a man may say, Inopem me copia fecit: like foolish Indians, that have store of Gold, and trucke it away for rattles. An emptie vessell bung’d up close, though you throw it into the midst of the sea, will receive no water. The Monastery is a place of devotion, the Monke is in the Monastery: yet perhaps the Monastery it selfe, as soone as devotion, may enter into the monke. A man may be in a holy place, yet if holinesse be not in his heart, it is not where it should be. Ismael was an unbeleever in the house of Faith, the family of Abraham. Not on you, as hypocrites; that have a shew of sanctity on them, but no substance of sanctity in them. Outwardly lambes, there is innocence on them: inwardly Wolves, there’s no innocence in them. Hypocrites cover their spotted hides with the Lions skinne of Iudah, Sanctimony; so they beguile their brethren. They are alwayes proudest, that have the least cause. The utmost ambition of Iohn the Baptist, was but to untie Christs shooe: of that other Iohn, the beloved Disciple, but to leane on his brest: but Iudas the traytour will dippe with him in the dish, yea kisse his sacred lips. But there was never holinesse without humblenesse. Dyers can set on their colours the fairest glosses with Logwood, but they will not hold; when a showre comes, the glosse is gone. The glosse of profession without sinceritie will off in a storme; we must be dyed in graine to hold, and have these graces in us. The parts of ostentation are like loose corne, which the fowles pecke up. As Ierome said of the Scripture, so I may say of godlinesse: It is not In superficie & verborum foliis, sed in medulla cordis: not read in superficiall leaves and letters, but in the marrow and substance of the heart. An Hypocrites profession is in Folio, but his sincerity is so abridged, that it is contained in Decimo-sexto; nothing in the world to speake of.

But In you; what indeed hath a Christian to enjoy, but that which is in him? He may use the world, and that’s without him; but he enjoyes the Lord, and he’s within him, 1 Ioh. 4.16. Hast thou Christ? then he is within thee: 2 Cor. 13.5. Iesus Christ is in you; or you are reprobates. Hast thou the Spirit? He is within thee, 1 Cor. 3.16. Know yee not, that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Hast thou peace or joy? Rom. 14.17. they are within thee; little without. Have yee the Kingdome of Heaven? Christ sayes, it is within you. The heaven that is on earth, is within us; though the heaven that is in heaven, be too great to enter into us. Therefore is it said; Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord: for it is too immense to enter into thee. Yet so much as thou art capable of, shall be within thee. Many presume there is much goodnesse within them, but through their owne blindnesse they are deceived. One writes of a widow, that being thicke-sighted sent for a Physitian to cure her: he promised her good sight, she him, good money. He comes and applies medicines, binding them over her eyes: and still as hee departs, hee carries away with him some of her best goods. Thus hee continues her paine, till he had robbed her house of all her substance. At last the cure being done, he demands his covenanted pay: but she looking about her house, replied that he had not cured her: For whereas before shee could see some goods of her owne, now she could see none: before she was thick-sighted, now poore-blinde. It is so with us; while we were dim-sighted, we imagined many goods of grace in us: but now being truely inlightned, wee confesse our selves poore: and hence fall on our knees to the Father of mercies, to supply us with his saving graces.

And abound:] this is the Growing; πλεονάζοντα. After the ground is prepared, and the seed injected, by the Spirit of Grace fructifying is expected: they must encrease, multiply and abound. Where two things are necessarily implied:

First, these things must be in us, before they can abound, Iohn 14.21. He that hath my Commandements, and keepeth them, saith Christ, we must first have them, before wee can keepe them. Therefore auditors in hearing Sermons, should bring intention. It is ordinary with many, to commend the Lecture to others eares, but few commend it to their owne hearts. It is morally true, what the Christian tell-troth relates: A servant comming from Church, praiseth the Sermon to his master; he askes him, what was the Text: nay quoth the servant, it was begun before I came in: what then was his conclusion? he answered, I came out before it was done. But what said hee in the midst? Indeed I was asleep in the midst. Many crowd to get into the Church, but make no roome for the Sermon to get into them. Open thy heart so well as thine eare: if this seed be not sowen there, it will never abound with fruits to everlasting life. You come not to a banket to looke on, but to eat: hither God calls, but then Eat O my friends, Cant. 5. they are sullen guests that depart away hungry. Ezakiel was bidden to eate the roule, Chap. 3. You may taste of the heavenly gift, Hebr. 6. and feele no sweetnesse; but eat it downe, and it will be pleasant. Worldly things we seek to swallow downe: therefore Christ cals the riches of the Pharisies; τὰ ἐνόντα, things within them: Iob 20.15. hee hath swallowed downe riches. But in stead of nourishment they have taken a vomit. The adulterer layes lust next to his heart; the covetous layes usury, the malicious hatred next his heart. Psal. 5.9. Their inward part is very wickednesse. But for spirituall things some Out-house serves; as Christ himselfe could be allowed no roome in the Inne; the stable is held sufficient. But doe you afford better things better places; let them be in you. Not onely in your bookes: (and yet if these things were in the worldlings bookes, hee would burne his study) nor onely in your heads; for some have much science, little conscience. Not in your mouthes onely, for many have Gravitatem in sermonibus, pravitatem in moribus; an ill course of life, with a good discourse of language. But in your hearts, a holy closet fit for such heavenly Iewels. Be sure first you have them, then next that you have encreased them.

Secondly, it is not enough to have them, but to have them in abundance. The heart is but a little peece of ground, yet hath roome enough in it for many seeds. God calls for this encrease, 2 Cor. 9.8. Rom. 15.13. Ephes. 4.15. Vera virtus tempore non clauditur, semper justior esse contendit, Bern. true vertue is not temporall, but is still ambitious of improving it selfe. The Spouse of Christ must have many jewels, Cant. 1.10. A jewell at the eare, attention to the Word: a jewell at the foot, Humilitie: a jewell on the for-head, Modesty: a jewell on the hand, Charity: a jewel on the head, Constancie: a jewell on the heart, Fidelity. He that hath a good number of these jewels, shall be admitted into the number of Gods jewels: Mal. 3.17. They shall be mine in that day, when I make up my jewels. Take the whole armour of God, Ephes. 6. one peece will not secure us; we know not which way the blow will come. If wee have onely Brest-plate, the blow may light on the head: if onely the Helmet of salvation, it may light on the brest. Therefore take the shield of faith, that covers and defends all. Mars was called Gradivus: every Christian souldiour should be gradivus; goe to heaven by degrees.

For our bodies, no care can adde to their stature, Matth. 6. But we may adde to our spirituall stature, Ephes. 4.13 growing up to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ: for Gods family admits no dwarfes. The rich man growes easily richer, the good man easily better. Rivers at the first head may be covered with a bushell, which after a few miles fill large channels. A drop of true grace workes it selfe to Ioh. 7.38. Rivers of living water. So is it said of our Saviour, Luke 13.32. The third day I shall be perfected: Perfection it selfe growes to perfection; and shall not we that are imperfect strive toward it? In my Fathers house there are many mansions: not in the wildernesse, Ioh. 14.2. not in Horeb, not on the Mount, where Peter would build Tabernacles, nor in any part of this life; but in heaven: therefore still labour to grow and abound, till you come thither. If a man cast a stone into the water, circle begets circle; so one true grace will beget many. We reckon of a Physitian that hath abundance of medicines; a Lawyer that hath abundance of trickes, an Vsurer that hath abundance of moneyes, a Merchant that hath abundance of wares: we affect abundance in all perishable things: O then let us abundantly love grace, that Christ may abundantly love us.

They make you, that yee shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull. I come from the Christians Heart to his Hand; wherein wee perceive the efficacie of Grace: Shall make you. Not perswade, nor intreat, nor move, nor allure, but make you fruitfull, by a lively and strenuous operation. If Patience be in you, it will make you overcome injuries. If temperance, it will make you abhorre ryot. If Faith, it will make you beleeve above sense. If Charitie make you beneficiall to the poore. Evill may shew the good they have not, but good men cannot hide the good they have. It is like fire within us, it will make us speake Psal. 39.3. So powerfull, that it can neither be suppressed nor expressed. This seed shall proferre fructum; one blessing is the father of another; therefore Christen every blessing Ioseph, upon Rachels faith and argument; Gen. 30.24. God will adde to me another sonne.

Here is a kind of certaintie in this (καθίστησιν) constitution: as sinne will make a man fruitfull in naughtinesse, so pietie in holinesse. As there is a relation betwixt this life and the next, by an unchangeable ordinance of God. Mischiefe in this world, miserie in the world to come: no repentance here, no salvation there: a devill on earth, no Saint in heaven. But holinesse in the seed, shall have happinesse in the harvest: if the course bee gracious, the end shall be glorious. Eph. 6.8. Whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall hee receive of the Lord. So there is a relation in this life betwixt the disposition and the actions. If the heart be full of lust, the tongue will be a trumpet of impudence, the eyes windowes of temptation, the gestures so many remonstrances of ready prostitution: all the wheeles being like apt enginers, employed on the wills businesse. If avarice sit in the heart, like an Epicure to feast on gold; oppression shall be the purveyer to provide it, Brokage the Cater to fetch it in, Vsurie the Cooke to dresse it, and destruction the stomach to digest it. What evill seed is within, will appeare without. And so if grace have Existentiam, a being: it will have apparentiam, a manifestation. Hath David Hope? he will wnite for a kingdome in the extremitie of persecution. Hath Abraham faith? he will not deny to God, his onely son. Hath Iob patience? he will brooke all crosses with an unmoved quietnesse. Hath Daniel temperance? he will not bee enticed with the Kings dainties. Hath Ioseph chastitie? he will never come neere his mistresses chamber. Hath Paul fortitude? he dares fight with beasts at Ephesus. Hath Stephen a faithfull resolution? he will be content to die for CHRIST, and be rained to death with a showre of stones. Needs must that vertue be fruitfull that is stirring, and needs must that be stirring that is living, and needs must that be living that is quickned by Iesus Christ.

Neither barren nor unfruitfull: here is a double effect; expressed negatively, but implying an affirmative or positive consequent; Pregnancie and fertilitie. οὐκ ἀργοὺς οὐδὲ ἀκάρπους. For if those privatives, barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse bee taken away; there will necessarily follow a position of those contrary habits. It may bee they both signifie one thing, I am sure they intend both one sense. Yet I will take leave to resolve, them into a double metaphore; Pregnancie ot the wombe, fertilitie to the ground.

Not barren; the barren wombe hath ever beene held a curse and a reproch. So Iohns mother insinuates: Luk. 1.25. The Lord hath looked on me, to take away my reproch among men. When Rachel bore Ioseph, she said, God hath taken away my reproch, Gen. 30.23. Whether carnall barrennesse be a curse or not, I am sure spirituall is no lesse. Hos. 9.14. Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying wombe and dry brests. When God gives salvation, he is said to take away barrennesse. Sing O barren, thou that didst not beare, Esa. 54.1. Now only GOD can open both the wombes; of Rachels flesh, and of Lydias heart, Gen. 30.22. Act. 16.14. If the Lord propagate Abrahams carnall seed, much more his spirituall; Ioh. 1.13. who are borne, not of bloud, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is often observable in the scripture, that the children of women long barren proved most famous and excellent. Of Sara, Isaac, from whose loines such multitudes were deduced. Of Rachel, Ioseph, that wonder of men and Angels. Of Anna Samuel, that great Prophet and Priest of the Lord. Of Elizabeth, Iohn. the Baptist; of whom the Lord himselfe testifies; Matth. 11.11. Among them that are borne of women, there hath not risen a greater. So these Saints that have beene begotten of spirituall barrennesse, and converted from a sinfull life wherein they were habituated; have proved most notable instruments of Gods glory. As Mary Magdalen that was dispossest of seven divells, was so honoured as to preach the first Sermon of CHRISTS resurrection, and to have her memorie propagated with the glorious Gospell, Matth. 26.13. Zacheus, a Publican, an extorting Publican, a rich extortioner; yet how gracious was hee to CHRIST, yea how gracious was CHRIST to him! Luk. 19. Paul borne out of due time, 1 Cor. 15. yet outstripped the rest; and was in labours more abundant than they all, ver. 10. Thus ultimi have beene optimi, as the last grapes make the sweetst wine. When GOD opens the barren wombe, hee brings forth the excellentest children to CHRIST. Matth. 19.30 Many that are first, shall be last, and the last shall be first. The last of all prove not the least of all, yea often the best of all.

Now to take away barrennesse from the spirituall wombe, there is required this proceeding: by preparation, by conception, by pregnancie and by birth.

First, the wombe must be prepared: for barrennesse is upon all soules by nature. Therefore let us desire of God, as Rachel begged of Leah: Gen. 30.14. give me, I pray thee, of thy sonnes mandrakes. Little Reuben had gathered sweet flowers in the field: Rachel hath a mind to them: Epiphanius thinkes, to helpe her barrennesse. Pererius observes out of Avicen, that the seed of it doth purge Locum conceptionis. Some have taken those mandrakes for Lilies, and some for Violets: but certainly they were amiable flowers, such as they wont to strew on the bridall beds. Beseech we the Lord to strow the beds of our hearts with such mandrakes, Cant. 7.13. The mandrakes give a smell: those holy seeds of grace will take away our barrennesse, and prepare our soules for a holy conception. Yea CHRIST must interceed for us, as Isaac intreated for Rebecca, because shee was barren: and the Lord will bee intreated of him, Gen. 25.21.

In the second place followes conception, and this is by illumination and sanctified knowledge. Ignorant Papists gloriously boast their famous progenie of good workes: but can a woman bring forth before she hath conceived? Such a progenie were a prodigie. Therefore first, Psal. 86.11. Teach me thy way O Lord, and then I will walke in thy truth. And Psal. 119.27. First, make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talke of thy wondrous workes. If they were examined as Philip questioned the Eunuch, Act. 8. Vnderstandest thou what thou readest? their negative answer would declare their soule not to be with child of grace. Thou maiest have a swelling, as the Pharisie, (Luke 18. I am not as other men, &c.) imagine thy selfe pregnant, provide thee a midwife, that’s ostentation, to deliver thee; and Gossips, flatterers, to witnesse for thee: but all is but a Timpanie: when death, that infallible midwife comes; thou art delivered of nothing but wind, vaineglory. CHRIST calls himselfe the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He that by understanding conceives not the way cannot in heart beare the truth, shall not in successe bring forth everlasting life. You shall have a Pharisaicall Benefactor call together his Gossips Matth. 6.2. with a trumpet in the Synagogue, as if he would ring them to Church with a Saints-bell; to behold what? his deliverie: of what? of almes. Almes? very well; let us have some more such travails: nay, all is but some windy exhalation. Perhaps he hath got in some desperate forfeiture, and now he will glase a Church window with it; and that’s all. Spectatum admissi risum teneatis?

Thirdly, after conception appeares pregnancie, Grace is borne in the heart by faith and is sensibly felt. If therefore thou hast conceived it, thou shalt feele it move in thy soule: as Iohn sprung in the wombe of his mother at the salutation of Mary, Luk. 1.41. The pregnant woman hath many qualmes; the soule in this plight feeles many pangs; and is in Rebecca’s case, when the Gen. 25.22. twinne-brothers struggled together within her. If Esau had beene there alone, there had beene no contention: but when she hath also conceived a Iacob, that is Spirit; Esau the flesh will oppugne it. Nature can agree with it selfe, but not with grace. Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other. No soule beares grace without sorrow, and compunction of heart for her sins. Ioh. 16.21 A woman when she is in travaile hath sorrow. Mans first and second birth begins in crying, Iohn 3.3. Except a man be borne againe, he cannot see the kingdome of God. Except a man be once borne, he never can see the light on earth: except he be twice borne, he never can see the light of heaven. There is Dolor in utroque partu, but here’s the difference: after the sorrow of the first birth, comes more sorrow: after the sorrow of the second, comes eternall joy, Gal. 4.19. My little children, of whom I travaile in birth againe, till CHRIST be formed in you. Dolet Pater ministerialis, &c. Thy spirituall father hath paine in begetting, thy spirituall mother in bearing, and dost thou the child borne expect indolencie and immunitie from sorrow? yea all plead conception, I aske you for your pangs: when stood your eyes full of teares, your hearts painting with grones, your prayers beating at heaven gates with importunities? Shew your maternos nixus: mothers have timores, ante partum, dolores, in partu, languores post partum; feares before their deliverie, sorrowes in their deliverie, languishments after their deliverie. Mary Magdalens soule had no sooner conceived grace but she wept, and washed Christs feete with her teares.

Lastly, comes the production or bringing forth, which is done by active obedience. Conception is Gratia infusa, Pregnancie is Gratia diffusa, bringing forth is Gratia effusa. Dost thou presume in thy soule the conception and pregnaneie of grace, and yet leadest a profane, covetous, or dissolute life? Thou sai’st no; I have thy word to the contrary: but thy life saies yea, I have not thy worke to the contrary: whether thou say, No or yea, God and thy owne heart knowes the contrary. Shall we say with the Prophet; It is brought to the birth, and there is no power to bring foorth? No, though it be often so with the body, it is never so with the soule: if the heart have conceived, it will bring forth. The penitent malefactor on the Crosse no sooner had his barrennesse taken away, but presently he brought forth fruit: hee condemneth himselfe, reproveth the other, justifieth CHRIST, glorifieth God. Store of good children are not naturally borne on the suddaine: but Esa. 66.9. shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord? Saving grace hath more validitie than nature he that gives strength to conceive, denies not strength to bring forth: that soule shall Psal. 113.9. be a joyfull mother of many children. Yea God can give Partum sine dolore, birth without paine, Esa. 66.7. Before shee travailed, shee brought forth: before her paine came, she was delivered of a man child. We read of Cornelius his good workes, we read not of his teares, Act. 10. Indeed this is a great wonder, Esa. 66.8. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seene such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be borne at once? for as soone as Syon travelled, shee brought forth her children. Nor eare hath heard, nor eye hath seene the like: yet God is the worker of such miracles. That a soule which hath long beene barren, shall in one day bee set a teeming, and produce gracious fruit to CHRIST.

But where not be our Births! Leah in her old age groweth barren, and ceaseth to bring forth children to her husband CHRIST. Our Saviour delighteth himselfe with his Rachel, the Church triumphant in heaven, now almost compleate. Leah the Church militant ceaseth to beare, and will so continue; except she give her sonnes mandrakes for her husbands companie, Gen. 30. for sake her worldly pleasures wherewith she is surfeted. I confesse, these are breeding daies: and as we say, that the meanes of begetting hath more encreased mankind, than the end: so there bee spirituall births enough, but they are bastards: our sonnes are our sinnes. As one writes of the Popish Clergie; who refuse a lawfull wife, to abuse an unlawfull harlot: Deus in ira abstulit filios Diabolus in nequitiâ dedit nepotes. God in his just anger tooke away their children, the devill in his wickednesse hath given them bastards. So also are we barren soules to produce Natos, lawfull children, good workes: plentifull to produce Nothos, unlawfull fruites, wicked sinnes. Legitimate workes are few, illegitimate many. The Romans had their Nothîa. Legacies and inheritances given to their bastards: so we dedicate and bequeath all our desires, and delights, and meanes, to our iniquities. Iames 1.15. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sinne: and sinne, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Lust when it hath conceived, [there is the Conception of sinne] bringeth forth sinne, [there is the Birth of it.] Sinne when it is finished, [there is the Growth of it] bringeth forth death, [there is the End of it.] It hath a father, a mother, a mid-wife, a nurse. The Devill by suggesting, begets sinne as the father: Lust, by imagining, conceives sinne as the mother: Consent, by agreeing, brings it forth as the mid-wife: Custome, by indulgence, brings it up as the nurse. Here is now no barrennesse! The Devill was never more busie to beget sin: Concupiscence never more pregnant to conceive it: Consent never more readie to act it: Custome never more strong to continue it. Such a brood you have, Psalm: 7.14. There is longing, conception, birth. Such another, Iob 15.35. They conceive mischiefe, bring forth vanitie, and their belly prepareth deceit. Here is a quicke dispatch; they are no sooner delivered, but their belly prepares deceit; to it againe incontinently. These are monstrous births; it is pitie that they are not abortive, and never suffered to see the light. Such a mother may curse the fruit of her owne wombe.

You see we are not barren: but better no light than that which burnes us: better no children than bastards. Let us never give life to that, which gives death to us. Leah said of Reuben, This sonne shall comfort me: Wee may say of our iniquitie, This sinne will afflict me. Many soules are pregnant, but they bring not forth a son of grace, but a daughter of the flesh: it is a daughter, not a sonne. The Iewes have often beene deluded in expectation of their Messias: among the rest I have heard this story reported for one. A Christian was exceedingly in love with a Iewes daughter; who also so over-affected him, that though shee might not marry him, yet suffered her selfe to be begot with childe by him. This being perceived, according to their law she must be put to death for it. Her betrothed lover desiring to save her, addrest himselfe like a shining Angell, and taking the benefit of the Moone, called to them in a shrill voice, to spare her: affirming that she was with childe of the Messias. This was easily credited, her fault acquitted, her life spared. Now when the time of her delivery approched, the expectant Iewes swarmed thither in multitudes. Delivered she was, but to their mockery and shame, not of a sonne, but of a daughter. At nine moneths end, that virgin-Iewesse was brought to bed of a Florentine daughter. After such a manner many timpanous spirits in the world doe travaile; but when the childe is borne, it is not a Sonne of the Spirit, but a daughter of Concupiscence. Parturiunt montes, excurrit ridiculus mus.

If this be the progenie, barrennesse is rather blessednesse: God make us all barren of sinnes, but fruitfull of graces, pregnant of salvation: that we may conceive, beare, and bring forth Christ. Indeed he had but one carnall mother, but many spirituall. Matt. 12.50. He that doth my Fathers will, is my mother. Indeed this is a conception which the world never conceived; but it is true from the mouth of Truth it selfe. Doest thou beleeve and obey? thou art Christs mother. When a woman said, Luk. 11.27. Blessed is the wombe that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked: hee answered; Yea, thou sayest true, she is blessed indeed, and all generations shall call her blessed. But I will tell thee who are rather blessed; They that heare the Word of God and keepe it. Mary her selfe was Beatior percipiendo fidem, quàm concipiendo carnem Christi, Aug. She was more blessed in receiving the faith of Christ, than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. Otherwise he might have beene her Sonne, and not her Saviour.

Not unfruitfull. Fruitfulnesse is that inseparable effect, which GOD expects from every tree planted in his Garden. Is Sion his ground? it must bee fruitfull, Esay 5. Is the man of Iudah his plant? he must be fruitfull? Is the Church his Vineyard? He goes thither to gather fruits. The effect of sanctified knowledge, is fruits, Phil. 1.11. Art thou the Spouse of Christ? thou art fruitfull, Rom. 7.4. We are married to Christ, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Hast thou the Spirit? it appeares in the fruits, Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, &c. Hath a man knowne Christ? it is seene in the fruits, Luke 6.44. For every tree is knowne by his owne fruit. Good workes are compared to fruits, for two speciall resemblances; Odour and Taste.

For Odour, God is pleased with the smell of our graces. Gen. 27.27. See, the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed, Cant. 7.13. The Mandrakes give a pleasant smell. Not that our good workes smell fragrantly of themselves, but in the merits of Christ, Cant. 1.3. The virgin soules espoused to Christ, get their husbands flowers: his perfumes make them sweet. Psal. 45.8. All thy garments smell of Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cassia. Thy Garments: our clothes hide but a rotten carcase, perhaps a rotten conscience: Christs garments are truly sweet. Thy garments: our best righteousnesse is lothsome rags, Esay 64.6. All thine, thy justice, thy mercy, thy grace, thy satisfaction, thy obedience: All; there is not a hem of thy vesture, but if it be touched with the hand of faith, is healing and saving. They smell of Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cassia: they are confortative, Psal. 94.19. In the midst of my sorrowes thy comforts delight my soule. Purgative; Heb. 9.14. they cleanse our consciences. Sanative; 1 Pet. 2.24. By his stripes we are healed. In his merits our Mandrakes give a pleasant smell. Now that this sweet Odour may be in our workes, we must be sure to take out the sent of Adam, the ill savour of our native corruption. Our prayers are Psal. 141.2. as Incense, and the lifting up of our hands, as an evening sacrifice: Yet, Non speciosa laus in ore peccatoris; Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner. It is like Sampsons honey out of the mouth of a dead beast. if you walke contrary to me, Levit. 26.31. I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours But if it be sanctified, it is an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice well pleasing to God, Phil. 4.18. If charitie toward some, be separated from equity towards others; That sacrifice of almes is mingled with bloud; as Pilate served those, whose bloud he mingled with the bloud of their sacrifices, Luke 13. The forme of a worke is the life of it: and God may say, as the Poet did to the harsh repeater of his verses; Quem recitas meus est, &c. The good matter is mine, the corrupt manner is thine.

For Taste, some fruits have a sweet smell, but a bitter rellish. The actions of the Pharisies smelt well, but when they came to bee tasted, they were Rue and Worme-wood. The Gospell calls for rellishable fruits; not such as impietie produceth, Rom. 6.21. What fruit had you then in those things, whereof you are not ashamed? But vers. 22. fruits unto holinesse, the end whereof is everlasting life. It is not enough to avoid barrennesse, but to manifest fruitfulnesse, 1 Pet. 3.11. To eschew evill, that is the first lesson of Christianitie, but not all: to doe good, is the perfection, 2 Tim. 2.19. Let every one that calls on the name of the Lord, depart from iniquitie: that is one step, but not high enough: we must also doe the will of our Father. The forbearance of sinne doth but bring Christ unto our doores; it is fruitfulnesse in good, that settles him in our hearts.

In the knowledge of our LORD IESUS CHRIST. It is saving knowledge that takes away barrennesse, and makes us fruitfull in the workes of obedience. 1 Cor. 9.7. Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Wee expect this of the earth that hath only nature: and shall not God expect it of us, who have sense to governe nature, reason to governe sense, grace to governe reason, IESUS CHRIST to governe all? The knowledge of our blessed Saviour is sweet and publicke: now after this confessed sweetnesse, how bitter would that question bee, if I should dispute whether this knowledge bee truely in us or not? Wee say, wee know him: but 1 Iohn 2.3. Hereby we know that we know him, if we keepe his Commandements. And now the question growes bitterer and bitterer; from Worme-wood to Gall. Let us appeale from mens lippes to their lives: hee that obeyes him not, knowes him not, 1 Cor. 2.8. If the Princes of this world had knowne, they would not have crucified the LORD of Glory. If wee know him, wee will not againe crucifie our blessed Saviour; and take upon us their office, whom wee so condemne; Iudas his to betray him, Pilates to condemne him, the souldiers to crucifie him, Heb. 10.29. If he that despised Moses Law, died without mercy; what punishment is he worthy of, that treads under foot the Sonne of God? Prophane Christians are worse than the Iewes: they threw CHRIST downe, but did not tread upon him: these tread under feete that sacred bloud. When the Iew wounded him, out came bloud: when the Gentile wounded him, out came bloud and water: when the Christian shall wound him, out will come bloud and fire. Paul calls Christ That Rocke: when Moses smote the rocke, out came water: if we strike it, out will come bloudie water: not to purge us, but to judge us; at that day when we shall see him whom wee have pierced. We attaine that now by the Spirit of the Gospell, which we could not by the letter of the Law. The Apostle calls that a killing letter; so it was mortua, dead: and mortifera, deadly: for sinne was by the Law, and death by sinne. But if faith doe not give us Christ, we are still under the Law; and if our obedience doe not testifie our faith, the Law was not more deadly than is the Gospell to us: for it enhaunceth our condemnation, Matth. 21.44. Christ calls himselfe That Stone: we may be built on it, we may be spilt by it, according to our usage of it.

Circumstances of a sinne give aggravation to it; Non quòd dissimilis res sit, sed persona; The action is varied according to the person. We expect better things of well-promising professours, than of impudent and prostituted libertines. Shall an Officer that reformes the Tap-house, be himselfe found in a Brothell-house? Were it not strange that the Witch should tell the Iuggler, he hath a bad conscience? Or that the Hypocrite should raile at the Player? Or the Vsurer challenge the theefe? Or the Lay-Parson with his sacrilegious Impropriation, blame the poore Vicar for looking narrowly to his poore remnants? It is all one as if he that hath taken away my house, should finde fault with me for putting on my cloake. The dissolute shall speed better than the hypocrite; and lukewarmenesse is more offensive to Gods stomacke than frost-coldnesse. The Thistle in the forrest shall not fare so ill, as the barren Fig-tree in the vine-yard. Therefore, Hos. 4.15. though Israel hath played the harlot, let not Iudah transgresse. The offering brought with unhallowed hands, is worse than none at all. Sole & Sale nihil utilius; Nothing more usefull than Light and Salt. Yet for the Light, Matth. 6.23. If it be darknesse, how great is that darkenesse! And for Salt, Matth. 5.13. If it have lost the savour, wherewith shall it be salted? Though men be never so profound in knowledge, if they be prophane in conversation, their Salt is lost. Salt keepes other things from putrefaction, but if it be putrefied it selfe, what should season it? A sweet singer delights us all: but Quis medebitur cantatori à serpente percusso? If a Serpent hath stung him, who shall recover his voyce? If the eye be out, what shall looke to the eye? The Manna kept, and not spent, rotted: good gifts smothered will come to nothing. Sampson lost his strength in Dalila’s lap, the strength of grace is lost in idlenesse. If Ierusalem forget her first love, presently her right-hand forgets her cunning, Matth. 5.13. There are three things observable in the infatuated Salt. 1. The difficultie to be recovered, Wherewith shall it be salted? 2. The unprofitablenesse; It is good for nothing. 3. The contempt and scorne, It is cast out and trodden under foot of men. Neither is the unprofitable Minister only this unsavoury salt; though Christ directed that speech to his Apostles. If they be tenebrosae lucernae, darke lanternes; if any fault be in those lights, the whole Parish is full of snuffers: But also even every professour of godlinesse, that hath denied the power thereof, 2 Tim. 3.5.

Such an one like lost salt, is good for nothing. For, Ad nihilum valet, quod non valet ad finem suum; That is good for nothing, that is, not good for the end and purpose why it was made. If a knife be not good to cut, we say it is good for nothing: yet it may be put to some other use. If a plough be not good to breake the ground, we say it is good for nothing; yet it may stoppe a gappe. If a hound be not good to hunt, wee say he is good for nothing; yet he may in the night give warning of a theefe. But if a Professour bee not good for honestie, hee is indeed good for nothing. Corruptio optimi pessima: The dead body of a man is more offensive than the carcase of a beast. Putrified flowers stinke worse than weeds. A surfet of bread (though it be the staffe of life) is the most dangerous surfet. Ezek. 15.3. Sonne of man, what is the Vine? Shall the wood thereof be taken to doe any worke? or will men take a pinne of it to hang any vessell on? The Vine fruitlesse, is of all trees most uselesse. Though it be compared to divers noble and worthy things: the Tribe of Iudah is called a Vine, Esay 5. The good woman a Vine, Psal. 128.3. Vxor tua sicut vitis abundans; Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull Vine. The best man a Vine, Iohn 15.1. Ego sum vitis: though it be the Vine that cheareth the heart of God and man, Iudg. 9.13. Yet if this Vine be fruitlesse, it is good for nothing, not so much as to make a pinne to hang a hat on. Oakes and Cedars are good for building, Poplars for pales, very bushes for hedging, doted wood for firing: but the fruitlesse Vine is good for nothing.

It is observable that the refuse of other things have their uses. Sowre wine will make vineger; old rags paper; lees are for Dyers; soile and rubbish is good to fat the ground; pot-sheards and broken tiles to mend high-wayes; yea, they offer to sell combing of haires; Ladies and Gentle-women know, if they be good for any purpose. But the fruitlesse Vine, the savourlesse salt, the lightlesse lampe, the gracelesse Christian, is good for nothing. Let all yeeld to him, if he be fruitfull; let him yeeld to all, if he be barren. The daughter of Sion would never have beene so notorious a harlot, had she not beene first so rare a virgin. Iulian had beene lesse damned, had he never beene a Christian.

Consider the fearefulnesse of their judgement, Iohn 15.2. and 6. where you finde seven degrees of their fall: 1. They beare no fruit, this is their first step to hell. 2. Bearing no fruit, They are cut away from the Vine: Insition is blessed, but Abscission most wretched. Luke 13 7. Cut it downe, why cumbreth it the ground? To be excommucated from IESUS CHRIST, is most accursed. 3. Being cut from the Vine, They are cast out of the Vineyard: The prayers of the Church are not heard for them, nor are they suffered to Esay 66.11. sucke on the brests of her consolation. 4. Being cast out of the vineyard, they wither: needs must that branch wither, that receives no life of sap from him, that gives the sap of life unto all. 5. Being withered, they are bound into fagots, like the Tares into bundles, Matth. 13.30. Not all knit into one, but many severall fagots. An adulterer with his adulteresse make one fagot. A drunkard with his pot-companion, another fagot. A Seminary with a traytour, another fagot. The Extortioner and his Broker, another fagot. The Whore-master and his Pandar, another fagot. All shall not be punished in the same degree, albeit in the same torment. 6. Being thus fagotted and coupled together, They are cast into the fire; the most terrible of all tortures. 7. Lastly, being cast into the fire, they burne and frie in those quenchlesse flames, Marke 9.48. Where the worme dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. In comparison whereof, our earthly fire is no more than if it were but painted. They are ever frying, never dying: in universall and eternall anguish. Vniversall upon every part of bodie and soule. For the bodie, Matth. 22.13. They are bound hand and foote, and crowded into a prison of outer darkenesse: like brickes in a firy furnace, not able to wrinch; having not so much as a chinke where any coole winde may enter in to refresh them. Their seeing, affrighted with ugly Devils and darkenesse: their hearing, with hideous outcries: their smelling, with the odious stenches of the filthy bodies under torture: their taste, with a raging thirst: (begging one droppe of ungranted water, Luke 16.24.) and a ravening hunger, biting their tongues for anguish: their feeling, afflicted with insufferable torments, Rev. 19.20. In a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And now if the paine of the bodie bee but as it were the bodie of paine; the soule of torment is the torment of the soule. The phantasie distracted with horride imaginations, like a melancholy mans frightfull dreames, Wisd. 17.3. Being horribly astonished with strange apparitions; sad visions appearing to them with heavie countenances. The will is vexed, that it must have the will in nothing. The memorie with a fixed recordation of passed things; what it once enjoyed, what it now suffereth, and what it must suffer for ever. It can thinke of nothing to administer comfort: that it was once happy more afflicts it. Now as the reprobates commit two evills, Ierem. 2.13. forsaking the fountaine of living waters, and fall to the broken cisternes of their owne digging: as there is in sinne an aversion from the Creator, and a conversion to the creature: so there is in punishment; for aversion, Paena damni, the punishment of losse, a privation of all blessed comforts; for conversion to the creature, Paena sensus, a punishment of sense, a position of all possible plagues. This is manifest by the rejection, Matth. 25.41. Depart from me; from me your Redeemer, from me that made my selfe man for your sakes, from mee that received such wounds for your remedie, from me that invited you with pardon, but you would none. Therefore depart from Me, from my friendship, from my protection, from my presence, from my Paradise, from my kingdome, from my sight: and from all those that goe with me, Quires of glorious Angels, communion of blessed Saints: this is the privation. Into everlasting fire, theres the postion: a fearefull place! God grant we may never know more of it than by hearesay. I have beene content to urge the danger of unfruitfulnesse, that you may prevent it: as Nineveh overthrew the message of her overthrow by her repentance: her sinnes were destroyed and her selfe stood. So may our provision of those torments in thought, be the prevention of them in sense! Saepe Deus minatur quod faciat, ut non faciat quod minatur. God, in his mercie, threatens before he punish; that hee may not punish as he threatens. What David said of his enemies, Psal. 55.15. Let them goe downe quicke into hell; wee may in another sense wish to our selves, our best friends. Descend we every day into hell by meditation, that at the last day we may not descend thither by condemnation. Let us often goe to hell while we live, that we may not come thither when we are dead. Recollect we our selves, and become fruitfull trees; that when GOD transplants us from this nursery, hee may set us in his owne glorious garden. The fruits of the earth spring, bud, grow greene, grow ripe, and then wither: but the fruits of the spirit shall never decay. If they have filled GODS vineyard on earth, they shall flourish in his Eden of heaven for ever.

In the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. The object of our knowledge here is our blessed Saviour comfortably described to us in foure Attributes. 1. Our. 2. LORD. 3. IESUS. 4. CHRIST. Vt Dominus potest, ut Iesus vult, ut Christus facit, ut noster debet. As he is LORD hee can, as hee is IESUS will, as hee is Christ hee doth, as hee is Our he should, save us. Lord, ecce potestatem, consider his mightinesse. Iesus, ecce suavitatem, consider his sweetnesse. CHRIST, ecce voluntatem, consider his willingnesse. Our, ecce bonitatem, consider his goodnesse that gives us interest in himselfe, and vouchsafes us to chalenge his mercie. Lord, ratione Dominionis, in regard of his Dominion, Psal. 99.1. The Lord raigneth let the people tremble: he sitteth betweene the Cherubins, let the earth be moved. Iesus, ratione salutis, in regard of his salvation; Psal. 68.20. He that is our God is the God of our salvation; who came into the world to save sinners. Christ, ratione Promissionis, in regard of the promise. God did promise him, and the Iewes expected him under the name of Christ, Ioh. 7.26. Doe the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? ver. 41. This is the Christ. Our, ratione appropinquationis, in regard of his appropriating himselfe unto us, not taking on him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, Hebr. 2.16. He tooke our flesh, that we might take of his spirit; and thus gave us an interest in himselfe. Our Advocate, 1 Ioh. 2. Wee have an Advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous: Our LORD, Our IESUS, Our CHRIST. Againe Iesus in facto, Noster in pacto. Lord in his power, his workes declare him to be the Lord; who doth what he will in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all deepe places, Psal. 135.6. The same workes that the father doth, doth the sonne also. Iesus in being made; hee that is the LORD the Creator, was made Iesus a creature, Gal. 4.4. made of a woman, Ioh. 1.14. The word was made flesh. Verbum, quid potentius? Caro, quid impotentius? factum, quid mirabilus? The word, what more powerfull? Flesh what more feeble? Made, what more wonderfull? Christ, in being sacrificed and crucified for us: broken for our transgressions, 1 Cor. 11.24. Take, eate, this is my body which is broken for you. The Israelites did eate Agnum assum, a Lambe rosted: we Agnum passum, the Lambe of God crucified. He was broken for us: breaking is taken from an alteration of the good estate of the body. So it is said, age breakes a man. Moses was 120. yeares old when he died, yet was not his naturall force broken, Deut. 34.7. It was recorded as a matter of admiration, Psal. 38.8. I am feeble and sore broken: sorrow breakes a man. Our Saviour though he was young, and of a most excellent constitution, yet was thus broken. Nec color nec decor in eo; no forme or comelinesse in him; why because he was Vir dolorum; a man of sorrowes, Esa. 53. But what is age, sicknesse, and sorrow, to the hand of God? The Lord did breake him, Iob 13.25. Wilt thou breake a leafe driven to and fro? As a Lyon, Esa. 38.13. so will hee breake all my bones, Psal. 51.8. make me to heare of joy and gladnesse; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce. Christ was broken in all parts of his flesh, his head with thornes, his backe with scourges, his hands and feete with nailes, his side with a speare: onely (that the scripture might be fulfilled) not a bone of him was broken. Our in respect of the covenant, Novum faedus, Hebr. 8.10. Ero Deus vester, I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Infinite mercie; the Luk. 2.26. Lords Christ. is become our Iesus.

The summe of the Instruction is to teach us how to know our Saviour; as Lord as Iesus, as Christ, as Our LORD IESUS CHRIST. He is LORD, let us know his Majestie: Iesus, let us know his mercie: Christ, know his Office: Ours, know our owne interest in him.

LORD, in this title consider his power: know him Hominem verum, but not Hominem merum, Rom. 9.5. He is of Israel concerning the flesh, but also over all, God blessed for ever, Amen. Col. 1.2. Grace from the Lord Iesus; from him as God, as the Fountaine of Grace, 2 Pet. 1.1. Grace and Peace Through the Lord Iesus; through him as mediator, as the Conduct-pipe to derive it to us. LORD, this title is given him to distinguish and declare his power: as in waightie Proclamations Kings set downe their names with their titles. So Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God, mercifull, gratious, &c. Whatsoever the father did to us, Christ did also, to prove him, LORD. Did the father create us? so doth the sonne, Col. 1.16. By him were all things made; by him, that is there called the Image of the invisible God, and first borne of every creature. Doth the father uphold the world by his providence? so doth the sonne, Hebr. 1.3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his power. Doth the father regenerate us? so doth the sonne, Col. 2.13. Doth the father raise the dead? so doth the sonne, Ioh. 5.21. As the Father quickeneth them, so the Sonne quickneth whom he will. Therefore is the sonne called Pater aeternitatis, Esa. 9.6. The everlasting Father. Deus tantus in filio, quantus in seipso. God is as Almightie in his Sonne, as he is in himselfe. This is a mysterie; Praesumptio inquirere, pietas credere, aeterna vita cognoscere. To search too farre into it, is presumption: to beleeve it, is godlinesse: to know it, is everlasting blessednesse.

IESUS, in this contemplate his mercy, Mat. 1.21. He hath not name for no cause: the Angel gives the For: Thou shalt call his name IESUS; For he shall save his people from their sinnes. IESUS is his name, and salvation is with him. Matth. 1.21. He that truely knowes this IESUS, knowes him both God and man, one Person, our Saviour. The word IESUS hath but three terminations among the Latines; IESUS, IESU, IESUM. Take the three last letters, and they make SUM, I Am, the incommunicable name of God. Therefore as the Apostle did in their Epistles, so let us in our hearts, evermore joyne IESUS with God the Father. 1. Because Ioh. 5.23. he that honoureth not the Sonne, honoureth not the Father: he that dishonours one Person of the Trinitie, dishonours all. 2. Because all good from God to us is by IESUS: for otherwise we may have riches, and honours, and worldly possessions; but not have them as mercies. No man comfortably knoweth God but by Iesus: there is no fafe venturing on that infinite Iustice, without mercie at the right hand of it.

CHRIST, in this, meditate on his office, and the purpose of his comming, which was to redeeme us. Ioh 3.17. For God sent not his Son to condemne the world, but that the world through him might bee saved, Ioh. 12.47. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. For this end he was appointed and annointed, Luk. 4.18. The Lord hath annointed me to heale the broken hearted, &c. Now let not Gods purpose be frustrated: Deus misit quem promisit: doe thou entertaine him into a pure heart. When Martha told her sister Mary secretly; The Lord is come; Ioh 11.29. shee as soone as she heard it, arose quickly, and came unto him. The Messias, the Christ, the Redeemer is come; that blessed high Priest that offer’d up himselfe an expiatory sacrifice for us; now arise, let us goe and meete him.

Our Lord Iesus Christ, in this observe his performance, and free donation of himselfe to us. He is not only The Lord, and the Iesus, and The Christ, but Ours. Whatsoever he did or suffered, was for us, Dan. 9.26. The Messiah shall be cut off; but not for himselfe: not for devills, not for Angels, not for himselfe: for whom then? for us men and for our salvation; the lost sheepe, the sinners, the rebells, Esa. 9.6. To us a sonne is given, Luk. 2.11. To us a Saviour is borne. This Our, is a possessive: in knowing him a Lord, there is feare: in knowing him a Iesus, there is comfort: in knowing him a Christ, there is hope: in knowing him Ours, there is assurance.

Our; God loves these appropriations of mercie, if they bee of the breed of Faith. So hee taught us to pray, Our Father: not by an epithite; Holy Father, Righteous Father, Omnipotent Father; but by a pronoune, Our Father. Yea hee admits every particular hand of faith, to take his owne handfull out of this sheafe, and to turne Nostrum in Meum, Our into Mine. Though he be the God of all, yet Paul saies; My God, Phil. 4.19. My God shall shall supply all your need. Though he be Lord of all, yet saith Thomas, My Lord, Ioh. 20.28. Though he be the Saviour of all his people, yet saith Mary, My Saviour, Luk. 1.47. My soule rejoyceth in GOD My Saviour. Though he be the Father of the spirits, of all flesh; yet hee chargeth a faithfull soule, Ier. 3.19. Thou shalt call me, My Father. If God say unto thy soule, I am thy salvation; why maiest not thou say to him, Thou art my God? The Romists challenge us of over-boldnesse, and peremptory arrogance, to say My God, as if wee did ingrosse Christ; but indeed, they ingrosse him, that confine him to Rome. But why? because the franticke Merchant stands on the Key, and cries, All the shippes are mine: may not therefore a sober merchant stand there, and say, This shippe is mine? Is there no Iesus to be had unlesse wee fetch him from Rome? The Lord commands this voice of faith, Hos. 8.2. Israel shall crie unto me, My God, Psal. 118.28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee. Non est praesumptio dicentis, ubi est authoritas jubentis. There is no presumption in the speaker, where there is authoritie of the commander.

But now that we may assure him Ours, let us assure our selves his. Marce, ut ameris, ama. The best demonstration of our possession of him, is to find his possession of us. Can. 2.16. My beloved is mine, and I am his: wouldest thou know the certaintie of this marriage, and uniting of thy soule to Christ? when there is doubt made concerning a marriage, we search the Register, and take out a certificate or testimonie under the Curates hand; and that satisfies the Court. So here goe to the Register, thy Heart: there it is recorded, if it be at all, under the hand of the Holy Ghost: for, Rom. 8.16. The Spirit witnesseth with our spirit, that we are the sonnes of God: exhibite this in the Court of thy conscience, and all the doubtes are cleared. Are thy affections knitte to Christ? art thou where thou lovest, rather than where thou livest? is the desire of thy soule with God? this is a blessed fruition! Cant. 1.13. A bundle of myrrhe is my well beloved unto me, hee shall lie all night betwixt my brests: let him lodge in thy heart for ever. When thou art thus ravished with him, hee will be also ravished with thee, Cant. 4.9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister: thou hast ravished my heart.

The Instruction is cleared to our faith, how we ought to know our Saviour; as Lord, as Iesus, as Christ, as Ours. Now for our affections, let us make some use of it, and so conclude with application. For use, the true knowledge of Christ according to these foure termes, meetes with foure temptations. 1. Lord, meetes with our pride. Si sis sub Domino, quare abuteris ministerio? If thou be under a supreme Lord, why dost thou insult and dominere as if thou wert no servant. 2. Iesus, meets with our despaire. Nil desperandum Christo duce, & auspice Iesu. Who can despaire that knowes he hath this Iesus for a Saviour. 3. CHRIST, meetes with our disregard and neglect of his hests: if hee bee the Holy one of GOD, let us reverence him. 4. Our, meetes with our covetousnesse and worldly affections: let us not flie from that which is ours, and flie after that which is none of ours.

LORD. Art thou provoked to pride and presumption? humble thy selfe, there is a Lord above thee. When the Apostles strove about matter of superioritie, Christ rebuked them, Luk. 22.31. And the Lord said to Simon, &c. He is not (there as in other places) called Iesus, but Dominus, The Lord. But why was his speech direed to Simon? because he was most likely to be too confident, having most audacitie, and being the chiefe speaker. The greatest gifts most endanger a man to pride. A father loves all his children well, but is most tender to the sickest childe: perhaps Peter was most sicke of this disease; I am sure his usurping successors are incurable. Humble thy haughtie mind, there is a Lord above thee: and such a Lord, as resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, 1 Pet. 5.6. Pharaoh cries, Quis est Dominus, who is the Lord? who? even he that drowned Pharaoh in the red sea. The slave durst not boast himselfe, if he were sure that his Lord heard him. When a great Prelate durst write, Ego & Rex meus; I and my King: the King subscribed in act; Ego & servus meus, I and my slave: and quickly tooke downe the maine mast of his ambition. To question the Titles of Kings, hath ever beene held treason: why then dare any presumptuous spirit oppose the word of this LORD? No, Dic verbum Domino, Matthew 8.8. Say the word, O Lord, and my servant shall be healed.

Iesus. Art thou tempted to despaire? Iesus is a name, in quo nemini desperandum, in which a faithfull soule vanquisheth desperation. Despaire is a sinne that never knew Iesus. The drowning man would never sinke, if he knew and felt an infallible stay in his hand. Desperation is like that beast, Dan. 7.7. that had no name given it. There were three specified, a Lion, a Beare, a Leopard: but the fourth hath no denomination. To those foure terrible beasts are likened foure hainous sins: Presumption to the Lion, Persecution, to the Beare, Oppression, to the Leopard: and to the namelesse fourth, desperation. The Lion, presumption hath beene conquered, in Mary Magdalen. The Beare, persecution subdued, in Paul. The Leopard, oppression tamed, in Zaccheus. But desperation without distinguishing the kind; is dreadfull and terrible, and exceedingly strong: it had great yron teeth, it devoured and brake in peeces, and it had tenne hornes. It hath hornes enow to push at God with blasphemie, at man with injurie, at the owne soule with distrust of mercie. Other sinnes are fearefull enough and have the rage of Lions and Beares and Leopards, to make mans soule miserable. But the finall ruine never to be recovered while there stands a seate of justice in heaven, is desperation. Well, yet before any man fall into this gulfe, let him looke up and know IESUS, Ioh. 1.19. Behold that Lambe of God, that takes away the sins of the world. Behold the Lamb of GOD, yee that are Lions to your own soules! hath his death put sense into rockes and stones, and can it not perswade you? Is the bloud of Iesus shed for you, and will you in an impatient fury throw your owne bloud into the aire with Iulian, or spill it on the ground with Saul, or sacrifice it on a tree with Iudas? Shall he open heaven, and will yee shut it! He pull you out of the fire, and you runne into it againe? He drunke to you in a cup of Passion, and you should pledge him in a cup of salvation; singing with that melodious Prophet, Psal. 116.13. I will take the cup of salvation, and blesse the Name of the Lord. Will you then take a cup of death and despaire, blaspheme his name, evacuate his merits, tread his blood under your feete, and dye past hope? God forbid it; and the prayers of your lips, the teares of your eyes, the grones of your hearts, and the hope of your soules heartily forbid it. No man can despaire, that truly knowes our good Lord Iesus.

CHRIST. Is not the great benefit of redemption yet throughly apprehended of thy soule? art thou tempted to distrust or disregard a worke of such infinite price? Behold him, he is The Christ, the expectation of the Iewes, the consolation of the Gentiles, the salvation of all. Luk. 2.32. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. The creation by Gods hand, was magnum opus, a great worke; but the Redemption by CHRISTS death a greater worke. In the Creation hee made man like himselfe: in the Redemption he made himselfe like man. Granat. Illic participes nos fecit bonorum suorum: hîc particeps est factus malorum nostrorum. There he made us partakers of his good, here he makes himself partaker of our evill. There he only Spake the word: here Dixit magna, fecit mira, pertulit dira: passus est dura verba, duriora verbera: hee did not onely speake words, but suffered wounds: hee wrought wonders, he endured thunders; what heaven, earth, and hell, could inflict upon him. There man was made in the Image of God, here God is made in the Image of man. The creation was a worke of his finger, Psal. 8.3. When I consider the heavens, the worke of thy fingers. Redemption a worke of his arme, Psal. 98.1. His holy arme hath gotten him the victory: yea it was a worke of his heart; even that bled to death to accomplish it. Now if it be true what the schoole speakes: Bonum Gratiae unius majus est quàm bonum naturae totius universi, Aquin. If the saving of one soule be greater than the making of the whole world; and the goodnesse of Grace doth so far transcend the goodnesse of nature. Then be thankefull to God for his Creation, but much more blesse him for his CHRIST. Si totum me debeo pro me facto, quid jam addam pro me refecto? Bern. If I owe my whole selfe for my creation, what have I left to pay for my Redeemer? I will serve thee O Lord, because thou hast given me my selfe: but much more honour thee because thou hast given me thy Sonne Christ.

Our. Are we led aside with worldly affections, and a having covetousnesse? know, nothing is Ours but IESUS CHRIST. 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined not to know any thing among you, but Iesus Christ, and him crucified. This was that blessed Apostles resolution. Love him above all: nil contra eum, nil supra eum, nil sicut eum, nil praeter eum, nisi quod propter eum. Affect nothing against him, nothing above him, nothing like him, nothing besides him, but what onely for him. Behold, saith Peter, we have left all and followed thee, Matth. 19.27. they lost nothing by it, Uer. 28. When I sit on my throne, ye shall sit on thrones with me. If CHRIST, be ours, all is ours, 1 Cor. 3.22. All things are yours; whether Apostles, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods. In this heavenly conveyance, there is. 1. The Tenure, of great Latitude; All things. 2. The Tenants, of great happinesse, Ours. 3. The Heire, of great excellencie, CHRIST. 4. The Land-lord, of great majestie, God. It is said of the wicked, Ion. 2.8. that they forsake their owne mercie. Their owne, as proper to them, more certaine than the skinne to their flesh, if they would have kept it: but as Christ said to the Iewes, Noluistis, you would not. Qui relinquit suum, ut arripiat alienum: retinebit nec alienum, nec suum. He that forsakes his owne to snatch away anothers, shall neither keepe anothers nor his owne. See what you doe yee covetous: you leave your owne CHRIST, for the world that is not yours; the substance for the shadow: and you shall lose both shadow and substance. Ours: this is the encouragement of faith and obedience: why doe wee so labour to bee his, but because wee are sure hee is ours? every man loves his owne; let us never forsake our owne Iesus.

You see now the use of this fourefold knowledge of our Saviour. Quosdam sua confidentia fert ad praesumptionem; agnoscant Dominum. Quosdam sua diffidentia fert ad desperationem; agnoscant Iesum. Quosdam sua temeritas fert ad dedignationem; agnoscant Christum. Quosdam sua cupiditas fert ad tergiversationem; agnoscant Nostrum. Some mens pride lifts them up to presumption; let them acknowledge him a Lord. Some mens distrust casts them downe to desperation; let them acknowledge him a IESUS. Some mens carelesnesse lulls them in securitie; let them acknowledge him a CHRIST. Some mens covetousnesse drives them to apostacie; let them acknowledge him ours. Consider him Lord, and be not proud: consider him IESUS, and be not desperate: consider him CHRIST, and be not dissolute: consider him ours, and be not runegates. Thou hast made thy selfe ours, make us all Thine, O deare Saviour of the world.

Now for application, to bring all yet neerer home to our consciences? Hee is LORD, give him obedience. Hee is IESUS, and requires our Hope. Hee is CHRIST, and requires our Faith. Hee is Ours, and requires our Charitie.

Lord: this challengeth our obedient service, Hunc audite, Matth. 17.5. Heare him, Act. 3.22. He is that great Prophet of the Lord, whom we are bound to heare in all things. Sweare not: who commanded it? The Lord, Matth. 5.34. Bee not angry unjustly: who forbad it? The Lord, Ver 22. Be mercifull who imposed it? The Lord, Luk. 6. Who obeyes this Lord? now this Lord forgive us. Mal. 1.6. If I be a Lord, where is my feare? He may aske indeed, where is it? and who can answere him with a demonstration? The Lion Roares, but who trembles? Qui non timebunt in verbis, dolebunt in verberibus. Hee that will not Esa. 66.2. tremble at his words, shall feele his wounds. But if hee bee our LORD to governe us, hee will not bee our IESUS to save us.

IESUS: this requires our Hope: for in whom is our hope but in Iesus. When we are exercised with worldly troubles, with great molestation, we labour to extricate our selves, and faintly say, wee hope in Iesus: but concerning heaven, wee all hope well enough for that. Yet when death comes with his offer to helpe us thither, where is our hope? alas amazement hath mated it. We are like little children, that all the day complaine, and yet when the medicine is brought them at night, they are not sicke. Or like those that runne all the weeke up and downe the house, crying out of the paine of their teeth: and at last seeing the Barbar come to pull them out, presently feele no more torment. Or as tender bodies in a pricking pleurisie, call and cannot stay for a Surgion: and yet when they see him whetting his Launcer to helpe them, plucke in their armes, and hide them in the bed. The true reason hereof is want of hope: but he that knowes his Iesus, is comforted in hope. 1 Cor. 15.19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. For this life and for ever, repose we our hope in Him.

CHRIST: this terme exacteth our faith: knowest thou Christ? thou wilt trust him. Psal. 9.10. They that know thy Name, will put their trust in thee. Knowledge of Christ, and faith in Christ, are inseparable. I know whom I have beleeved, 2 Tim. 1.12. My faith is not built upon ignorance, I know him well. Indeed though salvation belong to all men, yet all men doe not belong to salvation. None pertaine to it, but such as take benefit by it: and none take benefit by it, (no more than they did by the brasen serpent) but they that fixe the eye of their faith upon it. Hee is Christ, the Lords annointed, sent for that end, to save us: how great an injustice is this, not to trust to our salvation on him, that was from all eternitie appointed for that purpose.

Ours: therefore let us give him our love: the knowledge of a proprietie chalengeth an earnest affection. The good sonne loves his owne parent, the brother loves the sonne of his mother: the chast wife loves her owne husband. Christ is our Father, our Brother, our Husband: ours, let us love him. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and on earth, none besides thee? Let me lose all, so I may reserve thee. A Philosopher could thus comfort himselfe when the Tyrant threatned him: I will take away thy house; yet thou canst not take away my peace. I will break up thy Schoole; yet I shall keepe whole my peaee. I will confiscate all thy goods: yet there is no premunire against my peace. I will banish thee thy Countrey: yet I shall carry my peace with me: for the wise mans home is wheresoever he is wise. So let the world take from us our riches, yet we have Christ: let it take from us our friends, yet we have Christ: let it take from us our libertie, yet we have Christ: let it take from us our wives and children, deare comforts; yet we have Christ: let it take from us our life, yet we have Christ; that is, to us both in life and death an advantage. When David said to Mephibosheth; Thou and Ziba divide the Land: he answered; Yea, let him take all, seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace, 2 Sam. 19.30. Thus let the world take all, so we may enjoy Iesus Christ.

Conclusion. The summe and heart of the Text concernes the fruitfulnesse of our knowledge of Iesus Christ. What Nation ever had the knowledge of him more abundantly propagated? I may say to you, as Christ said to his Apostles: Blessed are your eyes, for they see: Blessed are your eares, for they heare: but I cannot say, Blessed are your feet, for they walke; blessed are your hands, for they worke: blessed are your hearts, for they embrace. Our eyes and eares doe their office, all the fault is in our hearts: now the Lord open our hearts. We have knowledge, and it costs us nothing: bestow but the gathering of your Manna, and it is yours. Aarons bells give you musike by day; as your City-waits by night: musike in the streets, whereof they partake, that pay nothing for it. Hebr. 8.11. A man needs not say to his brother, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Our knowledge is universall, or at least should be universall, for God hath not scanted the meanes, Act. 2.17. God hath powred out his Spirit upon all flesh: our sonnes and our daughters prophecie, our young men see visions, and our old men dreame dreames. They see visions, and tell you the visions they see. Your wise-men desire not, like deepe streames, to run silent to themselves; but in a sweet murmure sing you the songs of Sion. We have knowledge, and need not travell for it: Amos 8.12. you wander not from sea to sea, nor runne from North to East, to seeke the Word of God. To runne to Rome for accomplishment of knowledge, is to goe into an infected house, to fetch out a rich sute: or to put the finger into a firy crucible to take out the gold. What travell our young Gallants for? to heare newes: Tully said he could better heare the newes of Rome at Antium, than at Rome. Paris cannot tell more newes of France, nor Madrid of Spaine, than your Exchange in London, of both. I am sure that England stands as neere to heaven as Italy: and the good tidings of Sion is here safer and sooner, and sounder learned. It is then for knowledge: they that crosse the seas to fill their braines with knowledge, travell Northward for heat, and seeke the candle that they carry in their hand.

The Cimerians that live in perpetuall darknesse, though they deny a Sunne, are not condemned of impietie, but of ignorance. But Anaxagoras, that saw the Sunne, and denied it, is condemned not of ignorance, but of impietie. How great is our condemnation, if we know the light, and yet choose darknesse? Ioh. 3.19. Former times were like Leah, bleare-eyed, but fruitfull: ours like Rachel, faire, but barren. Wee give so generall acclamation to the Gospell, and the salvation by it, that we forget to observe the Law. As upon some solemne Festivall, the bells in all steeples are rung, but then the Clockes are tyed up: there is a great untun’d confusion and clangour, but no man knowes how the time passeth away. So in this universall allowance of Libertie by the Gospell, (which indeed rejoyceth our hearts, had wee the grace of sober usage) the Clockes that tell us how our time passeth, Truth and Conscience, which shew the bounded use, and decent forme of things, are tyed up and cannot be heard. Nay, there is rather a generall acclamation to licentiousnesse, than true liberty, Act. 19.34. All with one voice for two houres together cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. They cry só lowd for their Diana’s gaine, that Paul the Preacher cannot be heard; he must be put to silence. Moses and Ioshua heard a noise; Exod. 32.18. It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, nor of them that cry for being overcome: but I heare the noise of them that sing. You would thinke it the Praising of God, no it was the blessing of an Idol, Cant. 2.12. The flowers appeare on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land. Peace and Prosperitie are our Flowers, and we sing like birds; but Non audita est vox Turturis, the voice of the Turtle is not heard among us. All are merry, but who mournes for the abominations of Israel? All this while the Lord is angry, and would destroy us, Psal. 106.23. as he once threatned Israel; had not Moses then, did not IESUS now, stand in the Breach for us.

Alas! where is our fruitfulnesse? we so confidently hope for our salvation by faith, that there is little honestie or true dealing amongst men. We have either left Faith naked, as Idolatry stripped the Israelites, Exod. 32.25. or cut off halfe her garments, as Hanun served Davids Ambassadours, 2 Sam. 10. left her a rag of perfunctory service at Church, but cut off obedience as superfluous. Or if we have left her any covering, it is such as Iohn Baptist wore, a coat of Camels haire, some refuse and cheape out-side; and a Leatherne-girdle, a string of hypocrisie to hold it together: her food is Locusts, meere speculation; and Wilde-honey, only table-talke. Some onely care, Quid faciunt, non quid credunt; What they doe, not what they beleeve; they are Natures Moralists. Others care only, Quid credunt, non quid faciunt; What they beleeve, not what they doe; and these are most frequent. We all plead our selves, by faith to be Christs sheepe, but where is our wooll? In a good sheepe we require not onely flesh to feed on, but also wooll to keepe warme. In a Christian we require, not onely faith for himselfe to live on; but also good workes, a fleece of charitie to warme others. You shall have a Country-man professe conscience, but he dares not wish Iobs wish, Iob 31.38. If my land cry against me, or the furrowes thereof complaine: let thistles grow in stead of Wheat, and cockle in stead of Barley. You shall have a Courtier professe integritie: but if he should say with Iob, vers. 26. If I beheld the Sunne when it shined, or the Moone walking in brightnesse: or if my mouth hath kissed my hand; this were to deny the God that is above: sinne enough to decourt him. You shall have a Citizen professe charitie, but dares he say with Iob? vers. 19. If I have seene the poore without covering, and have not clothed him: if I have lift up my hand against the fatherlesse: Then let mine arme fall from my shoulder, and bee broken from the channel-bone. If all should make such wishes, and have them granted, I feare the whole City would be an Hospitall. It is no great wonder to see a Psal. 107.34. Fruitfull Land turned into barrennesse: but it is a miracle of mercy to see Dry ground turned into water-springs: to see our barren lives made fruitfull of good workes. He only that can turne stones into bread, can turne our stony hearts into that mercy to give bread, Psal 148. Praise the Lord mountaines and all hils, fruitful trees and Cedars. I make no question but fruitfull trees will praise him; but Cedars and mountaines? Yes, if stout Cedars bee bowed to obedience, and proud mountaines to humility; they shall praise him. Yea, vers. 7. Dragons and all deepes: The very Dragons of our oppressions being turned to mercies, shall praise him. The Dragons and Estriches, the beasts of the field shall honour me, Esay 43.20. The deepes, even the deepes of our stratagems being turned to simplicity and innocencie, shall honour the Lord. 1 Tim. 6.14. Saul did not more speake against Christ, than Paul speakes for Christ. Thus we that were drie stickes by nature, fit for nothing but the fire, may be made fruitfull trees by grace, to keepe his commandement without spot unrebukeable, untill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. Which he worke in us, who is the blessed, and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: who onely hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto: To whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.